Sarah McIntyre is one of the bravest illustrators I know.

Look at this picture. She has a finger placed on Morris the Mankiest Monster’s bogey! (Cue the fainting Victorian lady)

It’s alright. No need to panic. Get the Victorian lady some smelling salts and a sponge cake. Sarah is only touching a picture of his bogey.

Sarah is an illustrator, author and creative wonder and I thought I would pop along to the Fleece Station (where her studio is based) and ask her The BOOKhut Big 6. (Cue outrageously epic music that would make any 18th cetury German composer blush into insignificance.)

The BOOKhut Big 6 - with the utterly brilliant Sarah McIntyre.   

Q1: Describe yourself in 6 words.

Sarah: Sugar addicted Londoner addicted to drawing.

Q2: Which children’s book character are you most like?

Sarah: Sym in ‘The White Darkness’ by Geraldine McCaughrean.

Q3: What are your favourite children’s books?

Sarah: ‘There are cats in the book’ by Vivian Schwarz and ‘In the Night Kitchen’ by Maurice Sendak. (**Look ‘em up BOOKhutters - they are fab!**)

Q4: Who inspires you?

Sarah: My creative friends Gary Northfields, Lauren O’Farrell, Ellen Lindner and the wider British comics community Posie Simmonds, Satoshi Kitamura and Philip Reeve.

Q5: Make up a new Olympic sport.

Sarah: Anything involving water balloons filled with jelly would be good. Perhaps also a game that was a cross between baseball and polo but ridden on elephants.

(**What a fantastic answer - I should have asked what flavour jelly though! Crumbs!**)

Q6: Tell the BOOKhutters an interesting fact.

Sarah: The Fleece Station is haunted by a lady who lives in the toilet!

*******************************************************************

Phew! That was incredible. HUGE thanks to Sarah for answerring our BIG 6. I hope that ghost in the toilet isn’t too much of a bother (- I might see if I can track her down and suggest a more glamorous spot to haunt. Imagine having to go while while the ghost is rattling her chains and moaning. It would be most off putting!)

And our BOOKhut recommendation of course has to be something from Sarah so may I suggest ‘You Can’t Scare a Princess’ written by Gillian Rogerson and illustrated, of course, by our very own Sarah McIntyre. It has all you need - a neat, sweet, treat of a story with a princess, a king and some rather cheeky pirates - all beautifully drawn in spectacular fairytale dream scapes. (I’ve been lucky enough to see Sarah work and when she draws her pen sings accross a page. It’s magic.)

Join us later in the week when we find out a bit more about two of Sarah’s best characters, Vern and Lettuce!

I’m off to ghost-bust in a toilet. I ‘aint ‘fraid of no ghost!…………on second thoughts I might just stay here instead…….

Des