Hello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood
“Nature stuff is TREASURE!”
(Hello Twigs: Let’s Find Treasure)
The new Hello Twigs series of lively, humorous graphic novels for children has great appeal because of its familiar and yet unpredictable stories based around four friends (the familiar) who are twigs (the unexpected) who all have an issue or problem (the expected) that becomes the highlight of each book. But extraordinary characters, inventive plot elements and surprises (all unexpected) elevate the books far above the usual series fiction.
The other exceptional feature is the appealing, user-friendly graphic novel format.
Four books kick off the Hello Twigs series – Surprise, Let’s Find Treasure, Time to Paint and How Are You Feeling?
(The series is published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing.)
Interview with Hello Twigs series creators Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood
Thank you for speaking with PaperbarkWords, Andrew and Ben.
What is your vision for the Hello Twigs series? Where do you hope the series is in a year’s time?
AM: I really want kids to have FUN reading Hello Twigs. I want them to revel in the gentle humour and the twiggy characters and the dynamic graphic novel format. Ben and I are passionate about making books that are exciting to read – and we think Hello Twigs makes for a great introduction to graphic novels too.
I hope the series’ readership is still growing in a year’s time. I also hope the series inspires some creative responses from kids. If they read the books, then make their own twig characters (through craft or imaginative play or both) I’d be so happy.
Who are the intended readers of these books?
AM: Broadly speaking, the books are targeted at beginner readers.
That encompasses kids who are beginning to read independently, kids who are reading with a grown-up supervising and kids who are still watching and learning as a grown-up reads aloud.
Is there a recommended sequence in which to read the books, or start anywhere?
AM: No, you can read them in any order. There are definitely little call-backs and Easter Eggs in there for readers who are working their way through the whole series, but each book works as a stand-alone story.
Your covers are brightly coloured and stand out. Which do you think is the most distinctive, and why?
BW: I developed the covers in tandem to one another so I’m not sure I can pick just one! It was important for the characters to all stand out while also having the main character of the specific book be the focal point. It was a balancing act that I think worked out.
Why did you choose twigs as your characters?
BW: When kids are playing in a park or garden, a found twig is a key to imagination! A twig can be a magic wand, a sword, or even a character in a story! Every twig is unique and has a story waiting for a kid to tell. Andrew and I wanted to tap into this form of storytelling and imagination.
How do you distinguish Noodle, Ziggy, Stump and Red Twig from each other? What is a particular characteristic or attribute of each?
AM: Red Twig is the wild one. He’s bright red, high-energy, and he pinballs about the place with great vigour. He truly believes that ‘red twigs go faster’. Go, Red, go!
Ziggy Twig is the dreamer and the explorer. She wears a leaf backpack and has lofty ambitions, but she isn’t always tethered to reality. According to Ziggy, grass is actually called ‘green ground fur’. Oh dear, Ziggy!
Noodle Twig is an artist. She likes to paint and create, but she’s also super caring and loyal. She’s non-verbal but a strong communicator – and is effectively the heart of the twiggy gang. We love Noodle!
Stump isn’t a twig, he’s a stump. Although he often feels sad or melancholy, he’s remarkably in-touch with his own emotions. He just struggles to process or resolve them. We’ve all been there, Stump!
How important is nature in these stories?
AM: Nature is absolutely integral. No nature, no twigs!
We thought that anthropomorphised twigs would make really interesting characters to experience and explore the natural world through. But we’re not focused on stunning waterfalls or picturesque mountains. Hello Twigs is about the nature you can find near home – at the park, in the yard or even on the nature strip. It’s the leaves and trees and moss and snails that we’re celebrating. The nature of urban environments.
There is so much humour in these books. What is one of your best or funniest jokes?
AM: One of my favourite jokes takes place in Hello Twigs, Time to Paint, which is a story about Noodle Twig.
Noodle is an artist. She crushes up grass, leaves and berries to make different coloured paints. She even wears a beetle on her head, as a kind of painter’s beret. But when she’s about to start painting, she realises she doesn’t have any blue paint. At which point, this happens:
It’s a great example of how my writing and Ben’s art intersect and complement each other. The comic panels are the perfect visual structure for the joke. The narrator observes – then dismisses – the idea of turning a living creature into paint. And the look of slight guilt on Noodle’s face in that final panel – just perfect!
How did your collaboration work? Did Andrew write the words and Ben turn these into the graphic novel format or did you work alongside each other?
AM: It’s been a very collaborative effort. While we write and illustrate separately, the series concept was something that we devised together during a work lunch. Or more accurately, a work picnic. OK, fine, it was just a picnic!
We thought it would be funny to draw eyes onto twigs and turn them into characters. And everything fell into place soon after that – the characters, the tone, the nature angle and the graphic novel format.
Throughout the creative process, Ben and I are in constant communication, kicking around ideas and offering feedback and encouragement. Our creative partnership began with Real Pigeons – and it’s only gotten stronger since then. Hello Twigs came about so naturally (we were literally giggling about twigs during a picnic) that we just had to do it!
Much of the graphic novel design is very clever. Please choose a page that you are very happy with and briefly explain why.
BW: In Hello Twigs Surprise! Red Twig surprises Stump who drops his stones in fright! Poor Stump! I’m happy with how this scene plays out. It uses a combination of narrative text, dialogue text, and the illustration’s point of view to heighten this interaction. The last two comic panels in this sequence create tension and drama from a silent moment.
What is upcoming in the series?
AM: We’re very excited that there are more twiggy stories on the way. I’m currently writing Hello Twigs books 5 and 6, which are due out next year.
BW: And we also have Real Pigeons Flap Out (book 11) coming out November 2023.
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