Scarlett, Starlet

Emma Quay is an illustrator and writer of many award-winning picture books; her memorable characters for ‘Rudie Nudie’, ‘Baby Bedtime’, ‘Shrieking Violet’, ‘Bear and Chook’, ‘Good Night, Me’ and ‘Scarlett, Starlet’ are favourites on children’s bookshelves all over Australia. Her brand-new title for very young children, ‘My Sunbeam Baby’ has just been released. Emma grew up in the English countryside, and has wanted to illustrate children’s books for as long as she can remember. She works from a studio in her home and sometimes feels like she barely leaves it, but her illustrative work is held in collections around the world, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. In my picture books, I set out to celebrate the beauty in small, ordinary, everyday moments. My books aren’t autobiographical, and yet they are dotted with tiny fragments from my life. I wonder if the reason they seem to resonate with people is because they are full of my family — I hope these personal touches give the stories and the illustrations an authenticity at their heart.