Rong Rong unveils Jolly Monster Town, her new series for younger readers
About Author
Discover monsters big and small, and adventures every day, in Jolly Monster Town! ReadingZone found out more from author and illustrator Rong Rong.
Rong Rong is an author and illustrator who dwells in the jolly enchanted New Forest. Once a teller of tales for film and television in faraway cities, she now brings her daydreams to life with scribbles and doodles. When not snuggled at her rustic wooden desk, she can be found rambling through the country lanes in her trusty wellies, chatting with her tree friends and spotting mythical creatures.
You can find Rong Rong on instagram @atelier_rongrong
Interview
May 2026
Welcome to Jolly Monster Town, Rong Rong's new graphic novel series for young readers
Jolly Monster Town (Nosy Crow) is filled with jolly monsters, large and small, who have new adventures every day, from parties and sleepovers to turtles and treasure! This new graphic novel series offers fun and enticing stories for young readers.
ReadingZone caught up with author and illustrator Rong Rong, to find out more about Jolly Monster Town, what inspired the stories and what she hopes readers will take from them.
Review: "Jolly Monster Town: The Party Pickle is a wonderfully creative story which will engage young readers from the very first page."
More about Jolly Monster Town: The Party Pickle
Q&A with Rong Rong: Welcome to Jolly Monster Town!
1. Can you share three fun facts about yourself?
(1) I used to be left-handed when I was little, but I became right-handed as I got older because I wanted to fit in. Sometimes I wish I hadn't. Every now and then, I feel my left-hand power come back slightly. Now I use my left hand to scribble whenever I get stuck for ideas. I feel it brings out my hidden personalities.
(2) I love eating super spicy food.
(3) When I was little, I had many different dreams about what I wanted to do when I grew up. The dream that stayed with me the longest was becoming a brain surgeon. I gave up that dream after I realised the only time I could really focus was when I wrote, and that I felt most at peace when I drew. So here I am!
2. How did you start writing and illustrating for children? How would you describe your style and influences?
My fondness for children's books came rather late, and I owe it to my little boy. At the time, I was working in animation studios, developing films and television for families. So I was already interested in storytelling. Outside of work, though, I mostly read books and watched shows made for adults.
When my little boy was born, I started buying and paying attention to the beautifully designed and illustrated baby books he read. Although I never imagined making such stunning books myself, they still left a strong visual impression on me.
When he was about four, he started reading illustrated storybooks, and soon our living room had turned into a library. We often read them together. Some made us laugh, some brought tears to our eyes, some left us smiling for days, and some amazed us with the clever way they told a story . . .
The more I read, the more I wanted to try writing and illustrating one myself, and eventually I decided to give it a go, even though my writing and illustration skills were not up to scratch at the time. But it didn't matter. The most important thing was that I got started!
Regarding my influences, aside from all the lovely children's books I read with my son, the animations I watched when I was little also left a huge mark on me. I grew up in China, and when I was little, many Japanese children's animated shows were on TV. I loved watching Ikkyū-san, Chibi Maruko-chan, Doraemon, Lunlun the Flower Child, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, and Sailor Moon. Later, I also became interested in European animated shows like Madeline.
I haven't found the exact words to describe my style, but when I create my own world, I can't help but fill every space with the same colourful, warm, quirky, kinetic and whimsical energy as the shows I loved when I was little.
I have also always enjoyed comic characters. I started reading children's comics when I was little, and my favourite character was Doraemon. In my teenage years, I became a big fan of Shoujo Manga (Japanese comics for teen and young adult girls), and my favourite character was Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon. These days, my little boy reads a lot of middle-grade graphic novels, so I often read his books too and really enjoy all the funny characters.
Pages from the start of Jolly Monster Town: The Party Pickle
3. What is your new series, Jolly Monster Town, about, and why did you decide to create this place of 'jolly monsters' as a graphic novel?
Jolly Monster Town is about a group of jolly monsters getting busy every morning and turning every little hiccup in life into a jolly adventure. I've loved all sorts of monsters and creatures since I was little, and even now, perhaps influenced by folklore, I feel that everything in the world has its own personality and special powers - from trees, houses, trains and boats, to hills, rivers, to my little table lamp and even my teapot! I couldn't help but bring this jolly idea to life.
4. How do you create your Jolly Monsters? Do you have any favourites?
First of all, the Jolly Monsters are not scary at all, even though some of them do look rather weird. My idea for creating each Jolly Monster is very simple. I think about things that make me jolly in everyday life, then put them together. For example, I love log fires, stags and brambles, so here comes Twiggy the Log Monster!
5. What happens in the first book, The Party Pickle?
In The Party Pickle, Twiggy the Log Monster is so excited for her sleepover party. She wants everything to be perfect. And she definitely doesn't need anyone's help with it - or does she? She later finds out that asking for help is just as jolly as helping others. Plus, she and her friends get to use their monster powers to save the day while having a jolly giggle!
6. There are lots of twists and turns in the story - What kinds of challenges do the Jolly Monsters face? Does the graphic novel format give you lots of freedom in these adventures?
The challenges the Jolly Monsters face are similar to what we face every day: plans go wrong, things get too tricky, mistakes happen, it's hard to say no, and sometimes we get too competitive.
Yes, the graphic novel format is brilliant for expressing both the characters' personalities and my own, and it gives me enormous freedom to bring my imagination to life through their adventures. I can't think of a better format for doing that.
7. As well as a mad-cap adventure, the Jolly Monsters help each other learn about friendship in this story. What kinds of discussions do you hope to raise through the Jolly Monster stories?
I hope readers will think about how to find the right balance between being independent and recognising that we need help from others, and being brave enough to ask for it. I also hope readers will think about what the best ways are to be supportive and help our friends.
8. What else do you have planned for the Jolly Monsters?
In my second Jolly Monster Town book, The Treasure Hunt, Ralph the Pufferish Monster can't wait to get to the beach and find treasure! But in his rush, he digs up a mole's house, wakes up a hill monster and disturbs a whole troop of emerald turtles, thinking their shells were jewels! Ralph needs to slow down - or does he? Well, he is about to find out, with his friends' support, that his dashing around might lead them to find the treasure that they didn't expect!
9. How do you create your graphic novels - do you start with the characters and illustrations, with the concept, or with the plotting?
I don't have a set way of working. Sometimes I start with some character sketches, sometimes I start with some scribbles of story ideas. For Jolly Monster Town, I started with sketching a jolly town first, then filled it with doodles of little jolly monsters.
10. What kinds of activities do you enjoy when you're away from your studio? Are you as adventurous as your Jolly Monsters?
Oh, I'm not as adventurous as I'd like to be (yet!). I haven't had the chance to travel much, and I'm not the sportiest person, so most of my adventures happen in my daily life in the countryside - rambling through the forest and the country lanes in my ever-muddy wellies, come rain or shine. Actually, I rather like taking a stroll in the drizzle. Every walk is a discovery trip for me, because I believe different creatures come out in different kinds of weather and at different times.
In summer, when the weather gets very hot, and we don't have air-conditioning in the house, we take a picnic to the forest by the lake for dinner and try to finish it quickly before the donkeys come to raid it (though they are adorable!). I ride once in a while, and I don't mind going out in the rain. If the ponies are happy to trot in the drizzle, then we can have a jolly ride.
I also love gardening and growing cut flowers, even though we only have a tiny patio garden, so I mostly grow them in pots. Even so, it's rather delightful. I love being surprised each year by what I planted the year before, and spring bulbs definitely have the most interesting personalities. Not to mention all the worms and woodlouse friends that often stop by!
The most adventurous thing I do, I must say, is reading. I get a thrill like no other when I discover a good book or come across an excellent passage. Every time I finish reading a book, my world expands a little more.
Creative Challenge from Rong Rong: Today, I want you to create your very own jolly monster. First, think about what your monster could be made from. It could be inspired by your pet, your favourite food, something you wear, your favourite thing in your house, or just something weird and silly. Maybe it's an onion monster that tells jokes that make everyone cry with laughter. Maybe it's a volcano monster that pops popcorn. Maybe it is a super-strong steak monster that can lift a mountain!
Now think about what your jolly monster looks like. How many eyes does it have? Maybe two, three, a hundred, or no eyes at all! How many arms and legs does it have? Does it have claws, paws, hands, or feet? Are they huge, or tiny? What colour is it? Does it have fur, scales or spikes?
Next, you can add some personality to your jolly monster. What are its catchphrases? What are its monster powers? Most importantly, what makes it jolly? Let your imagination fly and have fun, and you will have your own very special jolly monster in no time!
School Visits by Rong Rong: I like to tailor each school visit to make it as rewarding as possible for the audience. In general, I would read a few chapters from Jolly Monster Town, ideally with interactive reading. Then I can give a demonstration on how to create and draw these jolly monsters.
I can also run a workshop encouraging children to make their own jolly monsters and write a simple story about them, followed by a 'Show and Tell' session. Last but not least, there would be a Q&A session. For school visits, please contact Sîan at Nosy Crow: [email protected]
Jolly Monster Town: The Party Pickle
