An Interview with Sophy Henn, author of Pass It On

Sophy Henn is here at The Hiding Spot to share her newest picture book, Pass It On, which is a joyous celebration of positive thinking and sharing!

___________________________________

I was immediately charmed by the positivity and joy found within the pages of Pass It On. Can you share a bit about your inspiration for this story? 

Thank you so much! I am delighted you enjoyed Pass It On! 

This book has a rather special spot in my heart. I wanted to create a happy, positive and, most importantly, empowering book for everyone from the very youngest book lover upwards! 

The world can feel huge, incredibly busy and a bit frightening sometimes, especially when you are little. So it's hard to imagine how you can make a difference or have an impact and that can feel a bit frustrating and scary too. The core message of Pass It On is that you can change the world one smile at a time. Look for the good stuff, there’s more than you imagine and when you find it, the simple act of sharing it with someone else means you have made the world a little bit brighter! If everyone did that imagine the positive impact! It’s not a new message, but sometimes in the hurly burly of the topsy turvy world we live in even the most obvious messages can get lost. I wanted to lay the idea out in the clearest way I could, with the most accessible ideas within it with the aim of inspiring everyone to spread a little happy! And I think we all need a little extra happy at the moment. 

Please tell me a little bit about your writing process. Do you begin with an outline; a bit of text; a character? 

Oh I wish I had a process! I love those articles about writers who have a certain breakfast before completing three chapters before lunch, and I long for a magic, word inducing breakfast! Personally, I have found ideas can come from all directions, Where Bear? came from an absent minded doodle of Bear, Pom Pom arrived in cartoon form from a real life incident (HARRUMPH!) and Pass It On really just came from wanting to write a happy book. But where ever the idea comes from, once it arrives the discipline starts! I will then write the story, break that down into spreads then sketch out each spread. That sounds straightforward though in reality it can be anything but! Some stories flow out, some have to be encouraged and others feel like almost impossible puzzles. But it’s a puzzle I love to crack and I can’t believe I get to do it for an actual job! 

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Share a notable book, author, or illustrator that has provided you with a hiding spot. 

Oh so many! Can I have one of each please? If so, I would say Tove Jansson's The Summer Book is a book I often retreat to. The clarity and seeming simplicity of her writing combined with the story of a grandmother and her granddaughter spending a summer on their island is just magical. An author I go to for complete escape is Nancy Mitford. Her books were written in the 1940s/50s and therefore bear no marks of the world about us, combined with the characters being assembled from the upper classes/aristocracy of the time means it is utterly otherworldly for me. But the themes of love, loss and belonging make those books beloved classics, a status helped immensely by her genius wit and wicked humour! 

What can your readers look forward to next? 

The next picture book I have coming out in the US is called Edie and it is about a little girl who is ever so helpful. We all know a little girl like Edie, full of beans, extremely busy and very keen to 'help' everyone. She might not always get it right, but you can’t fault her positivity!

 ___________________________________

More About the Book

Here's a fun idea: When you laugh or smile--pass it on! A story about giving, sharing, and joy.

"When you see something terrific, smile a smile and pass it on! If you chance upon a chuckle, hee hee hee and pass it on. Should you spot a thing of wonder, jump for joy and pass it on!"

So begins Sophy Henn's ode to the excitement of sharing happiness with others. With a refrain that begs to be uttered before every turn of the page, children will eagerly read alongside their parents as they discover how wonderful--and fun!--it is to share the good things in life. After all, if you spread happiness to others, even on a gray, rainy day, when you least expect it, like a bolt out of the blue, a smile or a chuckle might be passed right back to you! This heartwarming, upbeat book is the perfect way to bring a warm ray of sunshine into every reader's life.

  Buy a copy of Pass It On using the links below:

IndieBound / Amazon