1.What was your primary school like?
i went to primary school in dublin
its called glenageary killiney national school. it is a small school and the teachers were very nice. It had a big yard which was good for football.
you can have a look at the pictures here
2.What’s your favourite book?
my favourite book is maybe jared diamond’s ‘guns germs and steel’ it is a very interesting history book
when i was in primary school my favourite book was the twits by roald dahl. i loved roald dahl
3.You’ve been to lots of countries, which one is your favourite and why?
i like nepal the best. it has incredible mountains and in the countryside it feels like beautiful little villages from long ago and the people are very friendly. I spent 5 months last year working there.
4.How did you become a famous illustrator? Did you go to art school?
i went to art school and then drew pictures for magazines and newspapers afterwards for a few years and then i had an idea for a book. in the end i had to change my idea around quite a bit but i prefer working on my own ideas and stories because i can change them around if i dont like them.
5.What does it feel like seeing your book in lots of different languages?
very nice! i like looking to see what ‘uh-oh! bump bump bump’ is in different languages.
in french its: oh oh! boing boing boing
in dutch: uh-oh! boink boink boink
in german: ach herrje, bums bums bums (thats my favourite)
spanish: uy uy! pim pam pum
6.What tips have you got for becoming a famous artist?
keep thinking of ways you can try to make your artwork better. it can always be improved somehow. only by trying to do something a bit better each time can you improve.
7.What is your most embarrassing moment?
i cant tell you that. its too embarrassing..
8.What is your funniest moment?
i was looking for illustration work in an advertising agency and i was trying to look very professional but i didnt get any work from them. i was also looking for other work because i had no work as an illustrator, the next month i went for an audition and we had to dance like a chicken for a funny tv advert and the same guy was judging the dancing chickens. at the time it was very embarrassing but now its just funny.
9.Where do you get your ideas from?
i sometimes look at the characters in my drawings and try to imagine what they would do. other times i try to think of situations and see what characters would suit the situations and which would make a funny story.
BY CARMEN (YEAR 6)