On the eve of publication for Hotel Flamingo: Carnival Caper, the third book in the brilliantly inventive, witty and whimsial series, we are delighted to speak with author and illustrator Alex Milway.

(1) How important do you think children's book illustrations are and why?

As a young reader, illustrations were the first thing that grabbed me in a book - yes, hang my head in shame, I judged books by their cover. Looking back, I think that because I loved animation so much, this was the way I connected books to the world of cartoons. If it looked like it might make a good cartoon, I was in!

So I think illustrated books provide an entry for readers that don't immediately get drawn in by words, for whatever reason. Looking at it another way, I think the illustrations and 'branding' of books are more important than ever, and younger fiction depends upon it, especially if they're to compete with all the other media industries that vie for kids' attention. 


(2) What books did you read as a child and what do you feel created their appeal for you?

This is a toughy! I remember a few books vividly, but I wasn't a huge reader. I spent way more time playing football, drawing, building LEGO models and coding on my Spectrum 48k. But I do remember devouring The Witches whilst on holiday once. I read lots of comics weekly, like Whizzer and Chips. My love of stories really kicked off in my teens - partly on the back of wanting to write stories like I saw in animated films (Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky was immensely important to me, having chanced upon it on ITV one Sunday afternoon when I was about 13/14.) As with many kids of my generation, I read a lot of books like 1984 and James Herbert's Rats when at secondary school. YA didn't exist, but those fantasy/dystopian/horror classics worked fine. 

(3) Can you tell us how you came to create 'Hotel Flamingo'?

I saw my youngest daughter playing with a crowd of her cuddly toys, putting them to bed, teaching them, feeding them, and I thought it would be lovely to somehow get that into book form. A story about a child playing the adult, I guess, caring for others. Animals were an obvious choice for characters, but I didn't like the notion of it being a zoo - I don't think humans have any ownership over nature - and a hotel popped into my head. 

This world of animals became a place where Anna, the main character, could meet everyday human challenges head on in a gentle setting. All the problems of social cohesion, community and fairness are there for her to deal with in Hotel Flamingo. (Not to mention all the fun, very animal-centric problems, too, such as a rock band of nocturnal animals that have to practise at night!)

(4) There is a delightful sense of imaginative play in the models, animation and songs you create, does this help create a connection with young readers and what kind of responses does this get?

Yes, it really helps! I often find that children think the songs are the best bits of my events. I even had one lad ask for an encore! I blushed! But seriously, I love making things, from models to songs, and it's such a privilege to be able to bring that into schools and show what I do. It definitely helps with some children, making my books less like work, and more like fun. Which I obviously know reading is, but you know how literacy is these days!

(5) There is a warmth and wit that belies the stories, is the role of humour in children's books underrated?

Absolutely. I could go on for hours about this, but when a class full of children are laughing, you know immediately that they will remember your visit as a positive experience. That works with laughing when reading in your head, too. Humour linked to words is one of the most powerful tools we have for building and keeping young readers. 

(6) What animal would you most like to see visiting the hotel and why?

Beavers! I have been reading a book called Eager, by Ben Goldfarb, and I'm now a Beaver Believer, as they're known. I wish I'd written a story about a visiting beaver damming up the swimming pool... MAYBE I WILL?!

(7) Can you tell us anything about what you are working upon next?

I'm working on the illustrations for Hotel Flamingo 4 right now. Once those are complete, I have a lot of thinking to do... So many ideas, so little time. But there may be some adventures in the wilderness involved.