There is no normality in life.

I look completely like my mum. She's very foreign, very Jewish.

All the ancient classic fairy tales have always been scary and dark.

Who wants to be normal when you can be unique?

People have lots of misconceptions about me. My mum, who is half French and half Spanish, gets outraged when I'm called quintessentially English. I owe my looks to my mum-which was 90 percent of getting my first job. And, some people would argue, 90 percent of my entire career.

When you write for very young children what they want is something familiar and safe and stereotyped.

I think my mouth just opens and I spontaneously say things that occur to me.