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I find the possibilities for interpretation of the story or the ark almost limitless. One day I was daydreaming about what motivates animal behaviour in general, and the question flashed through my mind: whatever possessed the animals to get on the ark? I pictured individual animals all over the world, pricking up their ears and sniffing the breeze to receive the urgent message-get going! I settled on the Fox as the main character because he is a skeptic, and an outsider and had the most potential for growth during the story. Also his orange coat, white whiskers and elegant black stockings gave him star power!

As an author/illustrator do you have a story idea first or do ideas come as visual images?

As an author/illustrator my first ideas are generally images or pivotal scenes that is the inspiration for the book. After that, I write the manuscript to go with the little movie in my head. For Fox Walked Alone, as the story followed the animals on their journey I made sketches and storyboards of various characters and scenery. Once the manuscript is finished, I draw the final roughs. From the roughs I construct the plasticine art.

The use of Plasticine in unusual for children's book illustrations. Can you explain the process and why you chose this medium for Fox Walked Alone?

I have been creating picture book illustrations with plasticine for more that 25 years, and playing with it since I was a child. It is an extremely expressive medium, perfect for detail, and every book creates new ways of working with it and new problems to solve. And it is FUN! For Fox, it was a joy to create the desert colours, the changing sky and the textures and expressions of the animals, and especially creating the bird's eye view of the ruined city. I meet hundreds of fellow plasticine artists when I visit schools, and many students send me pictures of their artwork in this medium. I share some of their inspiring work on my website.

What is the best thing about being an author/illustrator?

The best thing about being a children's author/illustrator is visiting a library and finding one of my books sharing a shelf with books that I loved as a child, as well as new books by authors I admire. It's an honour and a thrill to be in such good company.

What is one fun fact about you?

I do most of my thinking while walking our dog, Ruby. She is a terrier, and some of her large ego shows up in the personality or Fox.