I am so pleased to be hosting a stop on the Chasing the Shy Town blog tour. I loved the fun nature of Chasing the Shy Town, which encapsulates the innocence of children’s natural curiosity and delves into the impossibility of perfection in a child friendly way. Chasing the Shy Town was released in June 2024, written by Erika Mcgann, illustrated by Toni Galmés and published by Little Island Books.
From the author
For All Ages
At any one time I’m usually working on several books, each aimed at a different age level. Right now I’m writing a fantasy novel for middle grade readers, a picture book for younger kids, and I’m dipping in and out of a young adult horror. It works well for me, because every reading level has its own challenges; it’s as though each one works a different set of muscles, and when I’ve exhausted one set, I take a break by working on another.
My first book, The Demon Notebook, was for middle grade readers. I felt confident writing for that age group – I figured every children’s author has a particular reading level that comes naturally to them, and this was mine.
I wrote a number of books in that series, and afterwards I really wanted to have a go at writing for other age groups, but the thought of going up or down in reading level was intimidating. Picture books in particular were a mystery to me. I could only ever see the wonder in a picture book story once it was fully illustrated. I found the manuscript on its own too abstract to tell.
Then I took a freelance job writing stories for schoolbooks. With one-line prompts, I had to churn out a story a day, and each one had a required reading level measurement. I had to plug my story into a program, and the program spat out a number. If the number was too high or too low, I had to amend the text. It was a baptism of fire, but I learned a lot. Over months I became more intuitive about reading levels, and not long after finishing the job I wrote my first picture book.
My new book, Chasing the Shy Town, is aimed at 4-8 year olds. It’s about a young boy named Senan who has no desire for adventure. But when he spots the Shy Town – a hilltop town that vanishes and reappears along the horizon – his fearless best friend and no-nonsense grandmother drag him along on an epic adventure to find it. I had thought the book would be for middle grade readers – I had written two standalone books before it, and felt this would make the third in a kind of pseudo-series – but I couldn’t seem to get going on the story. I rewrote the opening chapters again and again, but it just didn’t work. Frustrated, I took a break. When I came back to the book I threw the text out and started from scratch. Within the first few paragraphs I realised I had lowered the reading level. All of a sudden the book took off, nearly writing itself. It was another great lesson, and something I’ll be aware of in future – that rather than trying to force a particular reading level, I should relax and let the story choose its own audience.
Learning how to write for different age groups was not easy, but I’m beyond happy I did it. My work is constantly changing – there is always something to be excited about, and always a new challenge to face.
About the book
‘…tickly feeling in his tummy like he’d swallowed a bucketful of butterflies.’
Chasing the Shy Town
Senan doesn’t care for adventure. He’d rather watch the world go by from his bedroom window.
But when he spots the Shy Town – a hilltop town that vanishes and reappears along the horizon – he is fascinated.
Along with his fearless and fun-loving neighbour and his no-nonsense grandmother, Senan sets out to find the Shy Town. On their epic adventure they encounter wild storms, a boy made of paper, a nervous, beetle-like creature with remarkable abilities – and a mysterious town with an incredible secret.
Brushstroke illustrations by Toni Galmés really bring this story to life.
About the author
Erika McGann is an award-winning children’s author based in Dublin. She has written a wide range of children’s books, including Where Are You Puffling? (with illustrator Gerry Daly) and Tabitha Plimtock and the Edge of the World (with illustrations by Phillip Cullen), which was awarded a White Raven by the International Youth Library.
About the Illustrator
Toni has always liked to tell stories through his drawings. Toni was born in Mallorca, a sunny Mediterranean island. Later he moved to Barcelona to study Fine Arts. There he learned, read, and worked as a storyboard artist for film and advertising. He fell in love with a bookseller and, from that love, his work as an illustrator of children’s books and graphic novels was born. Toni’s work includes picture books, novels and graphic novels published in Spain and France, with publishers such as Penguin Random House, La Galera, Bindi Books and the prestigious Franco- Belgian comic publishers, Dupuis and Delcourt.
Chasing the Shy Town by Erika McGann, illustrated by Toni Galmés and published by Little Island Books, June 2024 6-9 years.
Don’t forget to check out the other stops on the #ChasingTheShyTown
Thank you for inviting me on this tour, Antonia Wilkinson.
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