Tom Jellett & Will Fin Win, The Train at the End of My Street …

Interview with Tom Jellett, featuring Will Fin Win? from the ‘Your Next Read’ series & The Train at the End of My Street

– Joy Lawn interviews Tom Jellett at Paperbark Words blog about Your Next Read, The Train at the End of My Street and his books and cartoons –

Thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at Paperbark Words, Tom.

Will Fin Win? Your Next Read series

You have illustrated Will Fin Win? (written by Jane Godwin, published by Affirm Press, Simon & Schuster, silver level for young readers). What is different or special about the Your Next Read (YNR) series?

I think the YNR series addresses a an Aussie Nibble shape hole that has been around for a while. While there has been plenty of linked series and standalone chapter books for this age group, to have an anthology series, with different authors and illustrators has been missing for a while, and it is a perfect bridge for emerging readers, on their way to reading even more.

Have you read any others in the YNR series yet (The Missing Pencil Case by Jasmin McGaughey & Jade Goodwin), Bea, Bart and the Birds by Katrina Nannestad & Cheryl Orsini and The Lonely Lunch Club by Maddy Mara & Laura Stitzel)? If so, what do you think of them?

I haven’t seen any of the other books as yet but very keen too (I haven’t even seen mine yet!) I can only go by the covers at this stage…and they look terrific! A lot of illustrators there whose work I’ve admired for ages!

The series is promoted as being like the iconic ‘Aussie Bites’ and ‘Aussie Nibbles’. You even illustrated one of these, The Littlest Pirate, written by Sherryl Clark (Puffin). Could you tell us about a similarity or difference between the ‘Bites’ and ‘Nibbles’ compared to the new YNR series?

I think it is a fair comparison…there is certainly the attention to quality with both series, although for a time there were a number of these series around. There were ‘Solo’ readers and ‘Mates’, I think another publisher did ‘Hotshots’. I was lucky enough to work on a number of ‘Aussie Bites’ and ‘Nibbles’, although you had to make sure you didn’t leave an important part of your drawing in the spot that had the die-cut ‘bite’ that was cut out of the pages….

I think it must be difficult to develop characters visually and to get their age right and stay consistent throughout the book. In Will Fin Win? how did you develop Fin and keep him looking the right age?

With a project like this, the publisher usually requests the cover first up which usually comes with a detailed brief of what they would like on the cover. So, I usually draw out the characters here…then they have to match up in the rest of the book!

How have you incorporated humour into this story?

Hopefully you can reflect the humour that may already be in the story, and add to it and not detract from it.

You’ve been very generous with the detail in your illustration. Is there a picture where you just wanted to keep adding detail? If so, which?

I don’t mind doing a crowd scene…and being able to add bits to it…so if there is a sports day or a ballet concert, I tend to get stuck in on those sorts of pages…

Apart from the gloriously coloured cover, did you illustrate the book in greyscale? If so, how do you keep yourself as interested as when you’re using colour, particularly because colour is something for which your work is renowned?

It is all still drawing, regardless of whether it is colour or grayscale. Thankfully grayscale can be a lot quicker! It is very different from doing a picture book as there a lot more pages, a lot more illustrations, a longer story…so you can pace things out, really develop action sequences.

You’ve now collaborated with both Jane Godwin and her husband, Michael Wagner. Could you tell us something about their different approaches (or something funny about them)?

They are both a delight to work with! This is my first book with Jane but Michael and I have collaborated A LOT over the years. That reminds me I haven’t seen Michael in ages..we should catch up…though I would have to get to Melbourne first.

The Train at the End of My Street

Congratulations on your picture book The Train at the End of My Street (Affirm Press) being a 2026 CBCA Notable Book.

Thank you!

You have illustrated many books about large vehicles that have an important purpose, including emergency vehicles and the bus in Dirt by Sea (written by Michael Wagner). What interests you about these types of vehicles?

I think it might be as simple as one of my favourite books as a child was Richard Scarry’s ‘Cars, Trucks and Things that Go’ I love that book. Still great. All the vehicles have a weight and authenticity…even if it happens to be a car shaped like a pickle.

And now you have written and illustrated a book about a train in The Train at the End of My Street. Why a train? What are you happy about how you have brought it to life on the page? What is your favourite type of train?

I guess it is slightly semi autobiographical in that I live near a train station. I never grew up near a train station where I grew up (although there was a tram). I don’t think I am fully paid up train buff but there is something terrific to have this service to help you explore where you live and beyond..and all for a few dollars. I don’t think I have a particular favourite train, but a ride on a Japanese bullet train is always a thrill.

How have you incorporated movement and sound into the story?

I hope I have conveyed that wonderful sensation you get at certain train stations that have about six sets of tracks where at one time about 3-6 trains all pass through at the same time…I’ve tried to draw that in the endpapers.

How have you developed characterisation in the book?

There might be a few characters that actually are taken from the train station at the end of my street…

What does being named a CBCA Notable mean for you and the book?

It’s always nice to be noticed! (Noted? Notated?). It’s always a thrill to make that list, especially when you look at all of the incredible work that is recognised. That said there is an incredible amount of work that gets left off every year, but I think that speaks to how healthy Australian children’s publishing is in terms of creativity and outstanding work.

Picture Books and Other Series Books

I loved your picture book Tiny Tradies, written by Tami Sussman (Affirm Press) and reviewed it for Books + Publishing.

https://paperbarkwords.blog/2023/08/24/tiny-tradies-by-tami-sussman-illus-tom-jellett/ What is something that you are proud of in this book?

Tami’s text is just full of wonderful humour and great gags (she is just as funny in real life) I just had to draw that really…although there was scope to add a few things of my own… as well as recognising carers for the heroes they are!

Your recent ‘Aussie Baby’s First Words’ board book series is fantastic (Allen & Unwin).

Thank you!

People should collect the whole series. My favourite is Bath Time! It’s so clever. How do you pitch the series?

Board books for babies can be expensive to produce, so few Australian publishers take them on unless it’s a proven seller, or usually the majority of them are from overseas publishers. I think there is a bit of a space there for more Australian baby books… this seems to be changing slowly so you are starting to see more Australian created board books which is great!

You seem to have illustrated many ‘active’ books over the years, including the ‘Sporty Kids’ series written by Felice Arena, Why I Love Footy by Michael Wagner, The Backyard Games by Alister Nicholson, The Trophy Kid by Pat Flynn, books about soccer and cricket and more.

And now, of course, Will Fin Win? Why do you think you’ve been asked to illustrate these types of books?

Most picture books are projects you live with for anything from 3-6 months, so it is always best to work on subjects you are interested in or have a passion for. I’m interested in a lot of sport, though I am rubbish at it. I’m a big AFL fan, so working on Michael’s Why I Love Footy was a labour of love. Cricket books are a bit trickier as it is really hard to draw hands holding a cricket bat properly…

You’ve also been involved in books about holidays, including Australia at the Beach written by Max Fatchen, Why I Love Summer and Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner and your own Christmas Time! in the ‘Aussie Baby’s First Words’ series. What is it about your work that makes it ideal to represent holidays?

I also love a road trip…especially one that involves a beach holiday! There’s a perfect Christmas right there! Maybe it’s because I don’t mind drawing a crowd scene for these holiday books? Busy time holiday time.

You illustrated the ‘My Dad’ picture books written by Katrina Germein (Walker Books). Why is the dad so funny?

Is Dad funnier is his own head? I think it is incumbent on all dads to tell terrible jokes to their family…you might not get a laugh 99% of the time, but ebvery now and then one might sneak through…

Your work is highly colourful. Which colours do you tend to use a lot? Why?

I did use a LOT of yellow for ‘My Yellow Blanky’ by Sofie Laguna, but the clue is in the title. It all depends on the story…

Is it true that you tend to draw humans rather than animal characters? If so, why?

I have done a few animal books, but the human books outnumber them 10 to 1. I did just finish one about a rhinoceros though.

What is your desire or purpose for the endpapers in your books?

It’s a nice little bridge between the cover and the contents…sometimes you can add a narrative elemnt or more just setting a scene of emotion. These days almost all endpapers are full colour which is a luxury…just as long as it isn’t something eseential as they usually get lost when the paperback edition is printed.

Newspaper Illustration

Could you tell us something about your media career? How is your book illustration work similar or different to your media work? Why?

It is similar in that you are given a story which you need to draw attention to. The difference is a picture book will be worked on for 3-6 months. A newspaper illustration will be 2-3 hours.

Is there something you’re just not good at drawing? (I’m not good at drawing anything much but I’m extra bad at drawing guns, which is a problem when playing Pictionary because I often seem to need a gun as a clue.)

I’m TERRIBLE at Pictionary. I do too much detail.

You’ve been involved in creating many other excellent books. Could you please name one that ‘goes against type’ and briefly explain why?

I’m not sure there is a specific example, but there are books I did years and years ago that look very different to the work I do now. But everyone’s work changes as you find which sort of work you eventually fall into or prefer to do.

We have so many fantastic illustrators in Australia, yourself included.How could you sum them up?

Absolutely right, there are many many fantastic illustrators working today… I’ve been lucky enough to meet some them as well and they are the loveliest people as well. Australian publishers have got so much talent to draw upon here they really do.

What is a career highlight?

Having a book read on Play School.

How would you like readers to contact you?

My website is a bit broken at the moment…but I think the contact form still works! www.tomjellett.com

Thanks for your very generous responses, Tom.

Thanks also to Jen Kean from Kean & Creative for facilitating this interview.

Will Fin Win? by Jane Godwin and Tom Jellett at Simon & Schuster

The Train at the End of My Street by Tom Jellett at S&S

Dirt by Sea Interview with Michael Wagner at Paperbark Words