Our second picture book The Calicolour Cat is now available! Curtis Ackie and debut illustrator Sydney Jackson have created a wonderfully refreshing rhyming adventure full of collaboration and discovery, as we follow two siblings embarking on a colourful journey to help put their friend back together!
Sydney is a Ringling College of Art and Design graduate, based in Tennessee, USA, whose goal is to help change the norm of representation in children's media, as every child should get to see someone who looks like them be the hero of the story.
We wanted you all to get to know Sydney and her art a little better, so our children interviewed her! In this Question Corner T(10), M(5) and Y(4) asked the questions they most wanted to know most!
What was your favourite part of illustrating The Calicolour Cat? - T
Really getting to go outside of my comfort zone and doing so many interior spreads. My favourite page is still the first spread in the book with the kitchen scene, it took ages but I was so proud of that one in the end. Getting to add so many little details to really make it feel like a home was really fun.
How long have you been drawing? - T
I’ve been drawing as a hobby since I was about 12 and started taking it seriously senior year of High School when I was 17. I decide to go to art school the summer after graduation and got accept to art school two months before classes started!
Is Surprise your favourite too? - M
I do really like surprise but my favourite to draw is anger, I like his little wisps of steam and his cute little friend face. My favourite emotion to feel though is love.
Do you have a cat in your house? - M
I do have a cat! My cats name is Onion he’s very big and likes to steal makeup brushes.
How did you draw that? (Y offered no further explanation to the question!)
I drew the book using a computer program, and it was just like drawing on paper except way easier to erase mistakes. I do a rough sketch first, figure out a color palette, then block in the shapes, and finally go back in and add all the little details! Do you like drawing? Y
I do like drawing! Like with anything some days I don’t like it very much and don’t want to do it but then other days ideas come really easily and I can sit for hours doodling away.
Thank you to Sydney for letting us get to know you better, and thank you to the children for asking such wonderful questions!