Barry Timms & Laura Borio: Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books
About Author
Barry Timms and Laura Borio introduce spooks, the joy of bookshops and reading for pleasure, in Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books!
Barry Timms, an award-winning storyteller, grew up in Cornwall but now lives by a South London water tower and is a city boy at heart. Barry likes road-trip movies, ghost trains and exploring forgotten side streets.
Laura Borio used to draw on the kitchen walls as a child, to the delight of her parents. Now she is a children's book illustrator, and her days are filled with sketches, colours, cats and raspberry jam croissants.
Interview
Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books (Little Tiger)
August 2024
Enter this very special bookshop with Henry, who doesn't think he likes books, or reading. Can bookseller Griselda Snook and her somewhat spooky customers help him find the book that will turn him into a reader?
Delve into the pages of Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books, delight in the surprises on every page, and help young children discover a love of reading. Author Barry Timms and illustrator Laura Borio tell us more.
Review: "'There really is a book for everyone' is the most perfect message that is embodied throughout Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books."
Barry Timms & Laura Borio introduce Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books
"Henry isn't into books, or so he thinks, but once inside the shop he falls under their spell."
1. Can you tell us a little about yourselves - what gets you excited and what makes you grumpy?
Barry: I'm based in London, just south of the river. I've lived here for over 25 years now and, despite growing up in the countryside, the city very much feels like home. I get excited by ideas and creative possibilities, sometimes to the point of having difficulty switching off. A bad night's sleep is definitely something that'll make me grumpy, as does being hungry!
Laura: Hi, I'm so excited to be here! I live in Turin, Italy. I really love drawing and inventing stories, while the sultry heat makes me a little grumpy.
2. How did you become a writer / illustrator and what kinds of books do you enjoy creating, and reading?
Barry: When I'm being creative, I'd say rhyming texts probably have the edge over ones in prose. I do also love to write in prose but there's a kind of pull and momentum to writing in rhyme, for all its tricky technicalities - it's a bit like the words are cheering you on.
As for reading, when it comes to picture books my favourites are often stories that envelop me fully in a world, or trigger my emotions in ways that feel humane rather than manipulative. For me, becoming a writer was something that evolved very gradually and naturally out of my day job as an editor of children's books.
Laura: My favourite books, both to read and to create, are those with fantasy themes (with dragons, witches and magic). When I was little my favourite activities were reading and drawing and as soon as I realised that I could earn a living with it I knew that this would be my path. So, I committed myself to following it, studying and taking courses.
3. What happens in your new book, Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books?
Barry: It's about a little boy called Henry who discovers a silver key in the street. He races after its owner and makes a new friend in a mysterious lady called Griselda Snook. She's opening a new bookshop that very morning! Henry isn't into books, or so he thinks, but once inside the shop he falls under their spell. This is no ordinary bookshop, you see, it's full of spooky surprises. There are jumping jack-'o-lanterns, runaway snacks . . . not to mention the shop's colourful customers! The big question is: will Henry find a book that's perfect just for him?
Laura: The story revolves around Henry meeting the most incredible bookseller there is, Griselda, who invites him to her amazing bookstore so he can find the right book for him. Barry Timms has written an extraordinary, funny and profound story. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to illustrate it.
4. What inspired this story - a love letter to indie bookshops - about a child looking for the right book, and Laura, why did you want to illustrate it?
Barry: I'm a steadfast believer in the importance of books for helping children develop and discover the world's possibilities. Being able to read unlocks pretty much everything, and it's a way to escape, take action or find help when life is challenging.
Laura: I loved the story as soon as I was lucky enough to read it. I immediately knew that I wanted to be the one to illustrate it! Not only was the setting Halloween-themed (which I love!), but the story talks about the love of books that has always been with me. A perfect match. So I worked a lot with the amazing senior designer Monica Arroyo Berezowsky to find the right style and colours for the story and I like to think we succeeded.
5. Why did you decide to give Griselda Snook's bookshop a spooky setting? How much fun did you have creating it?
Barry: I've always had a taste for the creepy - it's something that's remained with me from childhood. That said, it's not something I often write about. But the idea of a spooky bookshop really caught my imagination. So this felt like the perfect opportunity to explore the love of reading in a very imaginative, distinctive way.
Laura: The Halloween themed setting was a fantastic idea from the publisher. I was very happy about it because I love Halloween and being able to transform the reality we are used to and make it monster-friendly is really too much fun. Creating the monstrous customers who populate the bookshop was wonderful, I also tried to draw on Italian folklore, adding a befana (an old lady who flies on a broom and in January brings stockings full of sweets to good children and coal to those who are a little less good!)
6. What is your favourite moment or spread in the story?
Barry: Oh, it would have to be when the dragon is unleashed, just when time is running out to get the bookshop ready for story time. I have to thank my editor for this suggestion - the dragon wasn't in the original draft but it truly lifts the action to new levels.
Laura: My favourite spread is the one where Henry tries to cast a spell to prevent the dragon from awakening! It's a very emotional moment and I had a lot of fun playing with lights and shadows.
7. What do you hope young children will take from the book? Do you have any activities in mind for adults reading Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books with children?
Barry: My hope is that young children will come to understand that there are books about every topic you could imagine. And if you're not enjoying a story, then there'll be other ones out there that speak to you and make you feel seen.
As for activities, I'd point to the dragon that leaps from the pages of one of the books. There are hundreds of books in Griselda's shop - so what might be hiding inside some of the other stories, and what might happen if you opened up the covers to see?
Laura: I hope they learn that the right book exists, we just need to find it. That books are truly magical, that they can take you on adventures and transport you to unique places. I think it would be wonderful, after finishing reading the book, to try to find the right book for us (as happens to Henry in the story) by getting help from our loved ones. What would we like to talk about? Who would be the protagonist? Where should it be set? Maybe we could even try to write the plot and make some drawings.
8. Were you always a happy reader - or did you have to wait for the right book to have you hooked? Can you remember what was the first children's book you loved?
Barry: Haunted House by Jan Pienkowski was the book I was obsessed with as a young child. My next-door neighbour owned a copy, which in the end was given to me just to shut me up! It started a love of pop-up books that continues to this day. But actually, I do recall as a child finding it hard to get into quite a few stories, especially books that were chosen for me. I remember how empowering it was, at the age of 11 or 12, to go and buy a Stephen King novel and begin reading horror - something I felt sure I wanted. I guess my appetite for creepiness runs quite deep.
Laura: I have always loved reading, perhaps because my parents always gave me books since I was very little. My mother read me a bedtime story every evening from a storybook I loved called "Buonanotte in girotondo". I still have it, even though it is now all consumed by so many readings.
9. Where do you go these days to find a book you want to read?
Barry: It varies. In terms of adult books, it's often recommendations, or me searching out non-fiction books online for topics I feel I want to learn more about. But for picture books then there's nothing like visiting a bookshop and holding the physical object. Also, I can read the whole story in a few minutes and be sure it's the right one for me.
Laura: In my favourite bookstores of course! They are all magical, like Griselda's.
10. And when you're not making your way through a book, what do you enjoy doing to relax?
Barry: I choose to relax in a variety of ways, each with different energy levels. Dancing is the best way I know to relieve tension. Walking calms my brain. And there's nothing like sitting back and being swallowed whole by a movie.
Laura: I really like walking in nature, watching TV series and films and going to eat good food with friends.
Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books
