This is My Book
by Tim Harris
& Heidi McKinnon
Published by Penguin Random House
Tim Harris is one of the best of the many good guys of Australian children’s literature. He is well known and loved for his series fiction that spans Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables, Exploding Endings, Toffle Towers and Ratbags.
His first picture book, This is My Book, illustrated by Heidi McKinnon, shows a witty, clever metafictional battle for supremacy between the left and right hand pages in a book. It’s great fun and everyone is going to love it!
Guest author post by Tim Harris for Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog about the origin and writing of his first picture book This is My Book and the surprising discoveries afterwards …
A Picture Book 10 Years in the Making by Tim Harris
This is My Book is my 17th published book. It’s also my first picture book. Yet it’s one of the oldest concepts I’ve been ‘mucking around’ with over the past 10 years.
A decade ago, when I was working on the first traditionally published version of Exploding Endings, the late Garry Evans encouraged me to think of some bits and pieces that might fit into the book. It was an exciting time of creativity, and the concept of a battle between the pages in a book was born.
What made this time so special was the fact I was learning it’s okay to be Tim Harris. My obsession with recreating Paul Jennings-styled short stories took a gentle nudge to the side (thanks, Garry), and all creative options were on the table.
The first versions of this battle between the pages were published in all four of the Exploding Endings books under the title of Page Wars, illustrated by Ryan Pernofski. But I felt the fun was only just starting. At school visits, I would often split the hall into two parts – Left and Right. Then the students would have their own page battle. At book signings, young readers would tell me that their favourite part in Exploding Endings was Page Wars.
All the while, ideas kept brewing. How could this concept be extended?
Enter Zoe Walton at Penguin Random House.
Zoe is a patient listener and has considered lots of my ideas over the years. When I presented her with the idea of turning Page Wars into its very own picture book, she kindly got behind the concept. Zoe, along with my excellent editor Niki Foreman, came up with a new title, which ultimately redirected the story.
This is My Book.
The challenge was to now redesign the text and shape of the story, as well as bring in an illustrator.
While This is My Book plucks some of the tried and tested jokes from Page Wars, it also brings new light to the concept of a battle between the pages. With Heidi McKinnon’s incredible illustrations, the pages developed different personalities and facial expressions. (Yes, pages can have faces!)
Having Heidi on board also sparked the idea of the pages teaming up with either author or illustrator. In the end, Heidi is dragged into the story via the Left page, and the Right page somehow gets me involved. But it doesn’t stop there. The reader is also urged to participate as the book begins to spin and flip.
Is Right always right? (This question can be answered two ways – but I won’t spoil too much.)
What has evolved over 10 years is an interactive picture book that both analyses the nature of story and breaks the fourth wall. There is a lot going on.
When I received my advance copies, I suddenly realised that the book might be a fun way to teach left and right. It’s strange how things like this might slip through unnoticed.
I hope you enjoy reading This is My Book as much as I enjoyed contributing the very cheeky words.
Thank you, Joy, for allowing me to share some of the history behind This is My Book.
Thank you Tim. This book is a standout and will lighten the days of all who read it.
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This is My Book by Tim Harris & Heidi McKinnon at Penguin Random House Australia
My interview with Tim Harris about Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Join Forces at Paperbark Words blog
Kids Writing Cool A self-paced writing course for primary students hosted by Tim Harris and Nat Amoore
paperbarkwords.blog 