Katya Balen

About Author

Award-winning author Katya Balen and illustrator Gill Smith talk to ReadingZone about their new series for younger readers, The Appletree Animal Agency

Katya Balen has an MPhil researching the impact of stories on autistic children's behaviour and co-founded Mainspring Arts to provide mentoring and creative opportunities for neurodivergent adults. Her novel October, October won the Carnegie Medal 2022.

Gill Smith is from Liverpool and works with storytellers, musicians, writers and theatre companies in the exploration of storytelling. She has a BA in Literature and an MA in Children's Book Illustration.

Interview

The Appletree Animal Agency (Walker Books)

Award-winning author Katya Balen and illustrator Gill Smith talk to ReadingZone about their new series for younger readers, The Appletree Animal Agency, a story about children doing their best, about wishes, and especially about their love of animals.

Set in a small village, it follows what happens when a girl who longs for a pet of her own volunteer to help out with some rescued animals, and the adventures that follow with her new friends.

Read a Chapter from The Appletree Animal Agency

Review: "A wonderful blend of gentle adventure, humour, friendship and mishaps, making it perfect for those who are after a well-written, engaging tale"

Q&A with Katya Balen and Gill Smith: Apprentice vets, pets, and writing what you love

"It's EXACTLY what I dreamed of doing as a child, and I would also
still quite like my own treehouse!"

1. Thank you for joining us on ReadingZone. Please can you tell us a little about yourselves and what brought you into writing / illustrating for younger readers - and career highlights to date?

Katya: I was drawn to writing chapter books because it is just so much fun - I can write about all the gorgeous, cosy things that I think I would have loved as a child! Treehouses and hot chocolate and rainbow sweets and puppies! It's a kind of wish fulfilment. My career highlight was definitely winning the Carnegie Medal in 2022 for October, October. But also, every time a child tells me they like my books. That's brilliant.

Gill: I wanted to illustrate children's books for a very long time. Drawing and reading were my favourite things to do as a child and I got hooked on books that allowed me to imagine worlds different to my own. One of the highlights of my career was illustrating Maria's Island by Victoria Hislop, a story set in Crete in 1950s. Learning about Cretan culture and visiting the island of Spinalonga on a boat with the author was a wonderful experience. Last year, I learnt of a girl living in Liverpool called Minnie who didn't like reading until she found this book. She said she loved the illustrations and now can't stop reading! She went on BBC news to talk about Maria's Island when Spellow library, in Walton reopened. I am thrilled that my illustrations helped unlock the whole world of books waiting for her.

2. What is your new series, The Appletree Animal Agency, about, and what kinds of adventures do you have planned for these young friends?

It's about a girl called Mattie who wants nothing more than her very own pet. That doesn't seem possible, so she teams up with friends Zoe and Casper to help out sick animals and find them the most perfect new homes.

3. What inspired this story about 'Apprentice Vets' and children setting up an 'animal agency' - in a treehouse!

I think it's EXACTLY what I dreamed of doing as a child, and I would also still quite like my own treehouse.

4. Was there a pet you longed for as a child? Can you tell us about any pets you have had, and have any of them made it into the pages of The Appletree Animal Agency?

Katya: I always wanted a puppy, and I got one when I was 11. She was a little schnauzer called Maisie and she was perfect. I have had a big old rescue lurcher called Raffi, who came from Battersea, and I now have a naughty grey whippet called Mouse. I had a few cats as a child, as well as a fairly endless parade of hamsters. In The Appletree Animal Agency I based Desmond and Dusty on Raffi, and there's a ferret who behaves quite like my whippet, if that makes any sense at all.

Gill: Like Mattie, I now long for a dog to walk in the park and keep me company when I draw in my studio. I think I need to find an agency like Appletree to rehome a dog. I had a beautiful tabby cat called Mimi who was very affectionate and gentle. She had a calming effect and I loved having cat naps with her! She even moved from Liverpool to Cambridge with me when I studied my MA in Childrens books. It was an adventure for us both. She made very good friends with the posh Russian Blue cat next door!

5. What will children learn about looking after animals in these stories?

That it's hard work and you have to be pretty responsible and careful, but that they can give you so much back. Also that animals can bring together a community.

6. There is also a lot for these Apprentice Vets to find out about working as a team. Why do Mattie, Zoe and Casper work so well together?

I think because they all have such good hearts. It was important to me that the children in this book are always keen to do the right thing, even if that doesn't go to plan. They trust each other and they talk to each other and they always want the best for the animals.

7. Did you need to do any research into any of the animals the children look after to find out about their habits, or to illustrate them?

Katya: I had to read quite a lot about ferrets!

Gill: Yes, it was so much fun reading about different animals feeding habits, especially Casper's jackdaw, Liquorice, who pecks at everything: paper, shiny things, bike baskets and sweets! How fantastic it would be to have a jackdaw as a pet! I also enjoyed drawing the baby mice and the mischievous ferret. I found that drawing bearded goats is quite hard due to their angular bodies.

7. Gill, why did you want to get involved in illustrating the series, what appeals to you in this story?

Gill: The friendship between Mattie, Casper and Zoe appeals to me in these stories. They have a lot of freedom and independence with their Agency HQ in a treehouse full of books and sweets. It transported me back to my own childhood when endless summer days were spent roller-skating or on bikes, making our own fun. I do remember when all the kids in the street rescued a baby bird one summer. It was very dramatic.

I think Katya Balen is an exceptional writer who vividly captures what it's like to be a child with all their dreams and worries. In Appletree, the community of characters is so inviting and warm. It was a joy to live there in my imagination!

8. There are a lot of animals in the stories - how do you get all their characters across, and do you have a favourite?

Katya: I think you have to show them doing something in every scene - sleeping or stealing or eating or escaping! I have a soft spot for a naughty old goat and the star of the show, Luna the puppy.

Gill: When illustrating new characters, I find that I start looking around me, for ideas. I watch people walking their dogs in the park, or talking in shops, or daydreaming on the bus etc. When I was illustrating Appletree, my friend Claire's cat unexpectedly had five kittens! I loved feeding them while she was on holiday and letting them climb all over me. They created absolute havoc, knocking down plants and running up the curtains. I remember thinking I've never seen anything so beautiful! They are also in the book. Miss Cohen looks just like Claire and Mr Quentin looks very much like my Dad.

9. What do you enjoy doing when you're away from your desk or studio? Where do you go to get inspiration for the next Appletree Animal Agency adventure?

Katya: I walk Mouse, my whippet, every day, and it's very useful for thinking of book ideas. I see lots of animals out and about, and also I just have that quiet time to walk and think.

Gill: When I'm not working, I visit my partner, Peter and his daughter Ffion on their narrowboat. There is a gorgeous ginger cat called Mildred who roams from boat to boat, getting fed and tickled by all people living there. That's Mildred on the cover of Appletree Animal Agency, being her charming self!

Writing activity: How do you suggest children approach imagining a pet they would love to have, and writing it into a story?

Think about what would happen if you showed the pet something exciting - how would they behave? What would happen if you left them alone in a room? What would happen if you walked down a street with your pet? What would happen if you took your pet to school? Think about them in lots of different scenarios and you'll learn about their personality, and maybe have the beginning or middle of a story!

School Events: I do school visits, and am planning an event where children get to invent their own perfect pet, and become members of the Appletree Animal Agency! I also offer other workshops based around my other books. You can email me via my website - [email protected]

About Author

Interview

Author's Titles