colour | the writer is a lonely hunter

What’s happening? It’s pandemonium!

by gailaldwin

The children’s picture book I’ve been working on with illustrator Fiona Zechmeister is doing its final round. Collaboration means that the illustrations and text for Pan de mo nium circulate between us. Now, Fiona is putting the finishing touches to the illustrations and I’m pleased to share some images that demonstrates the latter stages of the redrafting process.

Pan de mo nium is a story about Peta who doesn’t look like other pandas in the toy department because of her purple coat. This provides camouflage and enables her to get up to mischief. When a shop assistant spots Peta, this puts an end to her tricks. Peta must learn more about herself… but does this stop Peta’s fun? Of course not!

Here is the title page for Pan de mo nium. This image will also feature on the cover although the final layout is not yet agreed.

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The font was chosen early in the process, the word ‘pandemonium’ presented as if broken into syllables and the place of the title in the centre of the page agreed. The sketch of Peta gives an impression of movement and joy.

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Next we discussed colours. Fiona used watercolours to experiment with different shades of purple.

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sneak preview: pan de mo nium

by gailaldwin

I’ve been working on a children’s picture book for a very long time indeed. The idea for pan de mo nium came when I was teaching a module of writing for children to undergraduates at the University of South Wales in 2015. We were looking at some features of anthropomorphism, where animals have human characteristics, and I shared examples where this technique was used to explore danger vicariously and therefore safely. Students joined the discussion before going slightly off task and started chatting about cute red pandas.

Red pandas are found in the mountains of Nepal, northern Myanmar and central China. These animals spend most of their lives in trees.

I spent a long time wondering what the relationship would be like between a giant panda and a red panda living in central China. I started thinking about what it would be like to be part of the same family but look totally different. (Although in fact red pandas are not related to giant pandas). Could these thoughts be explored through anthropomorphism? Would it be possible for a cute and cuddly character to experience tensions around not fitting in? I began to wonder if the issue of identity could be explored through children’s fiction by creating a purple panda.

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In Pan de mo nium Peta lives in a department store where her purple colour offers camouflage. She gets up to all sorts of mischief but when she’s spotted, the shop assistant puts an end to her tricks. What can Peta do to become a cheeky panda once again?

Here’s a sneak preview of a scene from inside the book. I love the colour palate that Fiona Zechmeister has cleverly used here.

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