Blog Tour: Finding Floss

Today, I am delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for ‘Finding Floss, the Colour Changing Cockerpoo!’. The charming colourful illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the gentle rhyming text, which explores what to do if you should get lost. Parents will find this invaluable for instigating conversations about this in a non-worrying way- there is an advice page at the end of the story- making it an important addition to bookshelves. Floss’s antics are sure to amuse and entertain whilst children enjoy spotting where she is camouflaged in the pictures. The story also has a loving family, which happens to be a blended family, at its heart- my favourite illustration in the whole book is the one shown on the Blog Tour banner above of them all together!

Author, Cara Matheson, joins me on the Bookshelf today to answer some questions…

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

The first story I remember writing was in verse and about cats. It began: “Cats are lovely, cats are nice, cats like chasing rats and mice.” I think I was 7. Despite this, I am very much a Dog Person. I can mostly be found curled up reading with my cockapoo, Scout, or following her a round Greenwich Park, near where I live.

In a former life, I was a journalist on various women’s magazines. I took a break from that to raise my now school-age daughters, and – after being immersed in the world of picture books – decided that I’d like to have a go myself.

Scout is a therapy dog. Can you tell us about that?

Currently,  Scout and I visit a local primary school to read with the children, as part of the Pets As Therapy Read2Dogs scheme. We’re based in the library and small groups of children come to see us and read a book of their choice to Scout. Some children find this easier than reading to a person, as Scout is a non-judgemental (and very cuddly) listener. It’s especially helpful for children with certain educational needs, anxiety or shyness, not to mention those that are going through personal difficulties or speak English as a second language. Scout loves the attention (and extra treats!) she gets during these sessions and it’s wonderful for me to see how the children grow in confidence from her visits.

What made you want to write a children’s book?

Having children of my own opened up the world of picture books to me, starting with Julia Donaldson’s Superworm – the first book I read to my eldest daughter. I’ve enjoyed seeing how much my children benefitted from these stories, which have provided lots of bedtime laughs, opened up interesting conversations and sometimes even helped them process difficult emotions or experiences. I suppose I just wanted to create the sort of book that they would enjoy.

What inspired the story and the characters?

Well, Floss is inspired by my dog, Scout! The other characters are loosely based on my own family. I’m from a diverse background (Irish, English, Chinese and Iranian…and more) and have also grown up in a blended family after my parents split up. I wanted Finding Floss to reflect my ‘normal’ and show it in a positive way. Finally, I think a lot of parents can recall a scary time when their children were lost (it’s only happened briefly for me, but each time my heart pretty much stopped) and I wanted to help children and their grown-ups have that all-important discussion about what to do, in a gentle, non-threatening way.

How did you find the publishing process? How did it feel to hold your finished book in your hands?

In a nutshell: A whirlwind, a wonderfully creative group effort, and  a lesson in immense patience at times (publishing lead times are loooong) before being suddenly hurled full-speed towards publication day! When I finally received the finished book I was simply giddy with excitement and in a state of disbelief. I’d been writing for so long – over a decade now – I almost couldn’t believe it had finally happened for me.

What do you think of the illustrations?

Mirna did an incredible job, especially with making Floss such a cute and endearing dog. Floss’s family are also perfectly rendered and the little girl (her name is Annie, though this isn’t mentioned in the story) is the sort of child I love to see in picture books: quirky, unique - and a glasses wearer. I also love the colours Mirna used and all the sweet little details she included. I honestly can’t think of a better illustrator for the book. Oh, and the endpapers are just fabulous!

What do you hope readers will take from the book?

I hope young readers will feel more confident about coping, if ever they find themselves lost. Most importantly, though, I want them to enjoy the story and perhaps even feel inspired to write their own.

Are you working on anything now?

I have lots more picture books up my sleeve, at various stages of completion – including a second Floss book. Writing in verse is a joy, but I’d like to have some of my prose stories published too. These tend to be on the irreverent, slightly random side, like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, which I think children respond really well to.

Finding Floss: The Colour-changing Cockapoo!

Cara Matheson, illustrated by Mirna Imamovic

published by Owlet Press, £7.99 paperback, out now.

Find Cara on Instagram @cara_matheson_writer and Twitter @cara_writer

 Thank you so much to Cara for joining me today. Make sure you follow the tour to find out more about this lovely book. You can find out more about publishers, Owlet Press, here www.owletpress.com