Kael Tudor hits the right notes with his picture book, Marching Band
About Author
Kael Tudor tells ReadingZone why funny stories for children are so important, and introduces his picture book, Marching Band.
Kael began writing his own stories at a young age, inspired by the books he bought at school fairs and jumble sales. As an adult he still writes stories, but hopefully does a slightly better job of it. He lives in Port Talbot, South Wales, with his young family.
Interview
June 2025
Kael Tudor hits all the right notes with his picture book, Marching Band
Come and join the marching band as it travels through a bright, colourful world. Laugh at their antics and learn counting skills as you journey through the town, across building sites and the beach – and even into space!
Kael Tudor tells ReadingZone why funny stories for children are so important as he introduces his new picture book, Marching Band, illustrated by Kate Hindley.
Review: "Get ready to stomp, clap, ROAR and march along in this joyful, action-packed adventure!"
Q&A with Kael Tudor
"The impact of having stories that make us laugh can't be understated. Laughter brings us together -
it's one of the purest forms of bonding."
1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone this month! You arrived on the picture book scene with One Goose, Two Moose, but can you tell us more about your journey to this point? What brought you into writing picture books, and do you do other kinds of work?
I've loved books for as long as I can remember and wanted to be an author for roughly the same amount of time. My favourite books as a kid were by Roald Dahl, Brian Jacques' Redwall series, Goosebumps by R. L. Stine, and the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.
I went on to study creative writing in university and developed a huge passion for children's literature, but it wasn't until many years later, in 2020, that I signed with my agent and sold my first books. One Goose, Two Moose came out in 2024 and this year three more books have followed, with one more to go.
I became drawn to picture books through my job as a primary school teacher and from having young children of my own, and the more I read and researched the more it became my favourite form. The way the text and illustrations work together to tell the story is something that I'll always love exploring, and always love writing.
2. There's a lot of laughter in your picture books - why do you feel that we need books that make children giggle?
I've always laughed a lot, and I've always been a huge fan of comedy in all its forms, and the impact of having stories that make us laugh can't be understated. Laughter brings us together - it's one of the purest forms of bonding, and so making stories that give children the chance to laugh with their parents, friends, teachers and whoever else they read their books with has always been important to me.
3. What happens in your new book, Marching Band?
Marching Band follows the journey of the titular marching band as they make their way through the city, a building site, the beach, and a variety of other progressively wild and wonderful places, playing their song and picking up new members of the band along the way. It's fun, bright, and busy - all thanks to Kate Hindley's incredible illustrations.
4. What gave you the idea of following a marching band through a city - and into space?!
When I think about book ideas I often start with the phrase, 'wouldn't it be funny if...' and then go from there. So when the first idea for the book took root I started getting carried away with where the band could end up marching, trying to think about the most fun that could be had.
After a lot of chopping and changing of locations we ended up with the book as it is. Outer space was always the final destination, though, even from my first draft, because naturally the idea of a marching band floating around in space is irresistible.
5. Is this another counting book in disguise? Is it important for you to have learning through fun in your stories?
It may be, but it wasn't designed that way (at least by me). The gorgeous endpapers definitely lend themselves to this because (spoiler alert) each of the ten marching band members are labelled with numbers, and there's definitely an element of counting involved when it comes to spotting the members of the band on each spread, but I definitely didn't intend on continuing a counting theme from One Goose, Two Moose and One Goose, Two Moose, Three Raccoon, Four Baboon (books I didn't even think of as counting books until only recently, as absurd as it is to say!).
When it comes to learning through fun in my books, it may be controversial to say, but it honestly isn't a top priority of mine! Children are constantly participating in intentional learning, both in school and through things their parents teach them, and while there are plenty of didactic and educational books out there, I think kids also deserve to have art and literature they can read that's purely just for their enjoyment, and that's what I try to do with the books I write.
6. The counting element of the story is brought in through the illustrations by Kate Hindley and attentive children will notice new band members joining one by one. Were there any surprises for you in how Kate approached the text? Any favourite spreads?
Kate Hindley is one of my favourite illustrators of all time, so getting to work with her on this book was an absolute dream. I knew that when I first saw the art I'd be blown away, and I wasn't wrong. Kate's brought SO much life to every spread and every scene, and I'm still finding new details every time I look at the book.
As for favourite spreads, the outer space one gets me every time. Somehow the art just seem to glow off the page! I also love the goodnight spread, where we see all the characters cuddled up for the night - it makes me feel cozy!
7. We love the rhythm in Marching Band, but what are the biggest challenges for you in writing rhyming text like this? Do you feel children respond better to rhyming text in stories?
Marching Band is actually my only book written in rhyme, and for good reason, because writing in rhyme (for me, at least) is unbelievably difficult. I actually cursed myself multiple times throughout the writing of the text for choosing to do it this way, because getting the scansion correct and the rhymes to work well, all while actually making sure the words make sense, is big enough of a challenge in itself. Ultimately, though, I'm glad I did write it in rhyme because I think a musical themed book works much better that way. And to all the authors out there who write in rhyme regularly, you have my eternal respect.
As for whether children respond better to rhyme than prose, I don't think so. There's undeniably something mesmerising about a story written in verse, but a good book is a good book, and I think children will love any book if it's a good one, regardless of whether it's in rhyme or prose.
8. If children enjoy this story, what other books have you written that they might also enjoy reading? Are there funny stories by other authors you'd recommend?
I try to make each of my books different from the last, both stylistically and in terms of content, so if a kid picks up any one of my books they'll hopefully have a different reading experience. One Goose, Two Moose and One Goose, Two Moose, Three Raccoon, Four Baboon (illustrated by Nicola Slater) are both silly, and follow the classic British trope of repeating a joke over and over, increasing the absurdity each time. I'm Gonna Eat a Monster! (illustrated by Scott Wilson) is more of a dark fairytale with comedy elements, and later in June I have another book coming called The Laughing Book (illustrated by Daniel Wiseman) which is all about laughter itself!
I can't recommend the books of Susannah Lloyd and Sarah Tagholm highly enough. Everything they write is hilarious. And across the Atlantic, Jess Hannigan, Lian Cho, and Rachel Michelle Wilson are all fantastic author illustrators who are creating some of the funniest books I've read.
9. What kinds of things make you laugh in real life - and do these make their way into your stories?
I haven't lost my sense of humour from when I was a kid, so I still really love children's books (obviously) and children's TV shows. I love absurdist humour, too, and always try to fit things that are a little bit out there into my stories, not that they always work!
10. Do you enjoy the life of an author? What kinds of things do you enjoy doing when you're away from your notebook?
I love being an author. It's genuinely a dream come true, so I'm having the time of my life! Other than writing, I love going for walks, reading, exploring castle ruins, and drinking approximately 250,000 cups of tea a day.
Creative challenge: Children could be tasked with making a crest or emblem for their own marching band, by drawing a shield or crest shape and dividing it into three, then drawing something in each section. Some ideas could be; things that are important to them, their favourite instrument, a location they want their marching band to go, their favourite animal, or their school logo. Colouring with their favourite colours is a great idea, too.
School visits: I do offer school visits, both in personal and online. They include a reading of my books, a creative task, and an interactive element like a game or quiz the children can join in with. The best way to get in touch with me is on my website: www.kaeltudor.com
Marching Band
One Goose, Two Moose (PB)
