I always begin my stories as experiments - on large yellow tablets - a mixture of writing and sketching.

I am an author-illustrator of children's books - and yet - I must confess I don't do the books for the kids. When I'm working on a book I'm somewhere else - at the circus - or a rustic old farm - or deep in a forest - with no thought of who might read the book or what age group it would appeal to. I write them so I can illustrate them.

Animal personalities have always intrigued me, the desire to find out more about them made a reader out of me.

I do recall how I got the ideas for some of my books. Many of them are a result of doodling.

I always begin my stories as experiments - on large yellow tablets - a mixture of writing and sketching.