Read a Q&A with Sophie Beer!

Sophie Beer is an award-winning illustrator/author living in Brisbane, Australia. When she’s not illustrating and writing, she thinks a lot about plants, animals, music and books.

There is No Magic in This Book is the latest wonderful book illustrated by Sophie Beer, written by Michelle Macwhirter, so we asked Sophie a few questions about it. Read on!

Sophie Beer ( Photo by Kirsty Sycz).

Tell us about your book, There is No Magic in this Book!

SB: As you can tell from the title, there is absolutely no magic in this book. It is completely bereft of magic and all magic-associated things. It is simply a sedate, soporific meander through an extremely boring, ordinary castle in which nothing magical happens WHATSOEVER!

Where do you start when it comes to beginning a new illustration project? Can you tell us a little bit about how you worked with the author, Michelle Macwhirter?

SB: I usually try to nail down the characters first, as that helps with how I picture the book and its tone. The Bookkeeper (who leads the reader through the book) went through a number of iterations until I settled on him being a grumpy, priggish cat. Michelle and I actually didn’t meet until after I finished the book, despite us living in the same city, which is awful as she’s just the loveliest person. Her feedback throughout the process was invaluable, however!

It must have been quite the challenge to hide magic in plain sight in the pictures. How did you go about doing that?

SB: Initially, I took the approach of making the illustrations very boring, with magic only creeping in around the edges. Only a keen-sighted kid could have seen it! Turns out that boring pictures made for a boring book, so we decided to cram as much crazy into every spread as possible, with the Bookkeeper carrying the irony of not noticing it! I wanted kids to yell, ‘HOW HAS HE NOT SEEN THIS?!’ on every spread!

You have a dual degree in Law and Creative Industries from the Queensland University of Technology. How did you come to be an illustrator?

SB: I ended up working in illustration because I worked in a law firm first! I very plainly saw that it wasn’t a good fit for me. There is very little scope for the imagination when you spend all day on affidavits and subpoenas. I did small freelance illustration jobs while I was getting my degree and that lil’ side-hustle grew to the point where I was able to do it full-time!

What do you love the most about illustrating picture books?

SB: I love the tension between picture and text, how one might say something completely different to the other, yet they work together in tandem to produce something beautiful. Also, having the privilege to aid the literacy and imaginations of kids is something for which I am very thankful.

Who do you most admire in the illustrating world?

SB: It changes daily! I’m always discovering illustrators who just blow me away with their talents. I’m most drawn to mid-century illustrators and am currently obsessed with Abner Graboff and his use of colour and negative space.

What is your favourite picture book and why?

SB: My forever-answer: Magic Beach by Alison Lester. It perfectly encapsulates the dance between text and pictures, as I discussed above! I love the level of detail in each illustration as well. It also helps that it was my favourite book as a kid, so nostalgia definitely factors in!

Who is your favourite fictional character? If you had the chance to draw them, how would you do it?

SB: Anne of Green Gables! I’ve actually never even attempted to illustrate her as I don’t think I’d be good enough! She’d be wild and ramshackle, with her socks falling down, her obstinately red hair embroidered with wildflowers as it struggles to escape from its braid, mud on her knees, forgotten kitchen utensils in her pockets, and her nose in a book.

What do you hope young readers will discover in There is No Magic in This Book?

SB: I’d love it to be an interactive read, where kids will be compelled to giggle and shout out what they see that the Bookkeeper hasn’t on each page! It should be a bedtime read that can be read again and again as everyone discovers all the little details and gags I spent so long hiding in there!

And finally, what’s up next for you?

SB: I’m working on a series of unicorn books with Penguin Random House New York, which is super exciting as unicorns are one of my favourite mythical animals! Then I’ll be taking some time off next year to welcome a baby into the Beer family!

Thanks Sophie!

—There is No Magic In This Book, written by Michelle Macwhirter and illustrated by Sophie Beer (Walker Books Australia), is out now.

There is No Magic in this Book

by Michelle Macwhirter & Sophie Beer (Illustrator)

Do you like magic? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place because there’s definitely NO magic in this book. Or is there?

In this vibrant interactive story, readers are told by the insistent Bookkeeper that there’s no magic to be found in its pages, but eagle-eyed readers can discover enchanted surprises on every spread...

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