Laura Taylor is a writer and translator, and a
mother of two. Born in the UK, she now lives near Newcastle, Australia and
facilitates Planet Picture Book. She has set out on a quest to discover picture
books from all the 193 member states of the United Nations, and share them with
everyone through reviews on her site.
Join us with her today, on her compelling journey of discovery.
Laura, you have embarked on a journey that encompasses
193 countries in order to seek out and review picture books, and to share your
discoveries with everyone. Currently, you have visited 12 countries of the
total you plan to cover. This is an extremely ambitious project. Can you tell
us about the project’s genesis, and what you hope to achieve on this exciting
journey?
In late 2016, I chanced on a TED talk by Ann
Morgan, who read a book from each of the world’s 196 countries and reviewed them
on her blog – in the course of a year. I remember waking up the next day and
thinking ‘I have to do this with picture books!’ It really was as impulsive as
that.
I think there are number of reasons why the idea
captured my imagination. I have always been an avid reader and believer in
books, and now, as a mother of two young children, I have developed a renewed
interest in picture books. I also have a lifelong passion for language and
culture. I’ve been fortunate to live and work in France, Italy, India, the UK
and Australia. I have also travelled widely. I truly believe in the value of
venturing outside one’s own patch and the importance of developing awareness, understanding,
and appreciation of other cultures and peoples. Particularly today with the
tendency of various nations to look increasingly inwards. It’s madness! There
is so much to discover and learn beyond our borders, so much to bring us all
closer together. And books – picture books – provide a perfect starting point
for adults as well as children.
So, I’ve set out on a journey to gain knowledge
– an idea of what’s out there in the big wide world. I’m hoping to uncover
authors, illustrators, translators and publishers; to gain an insight into the
stories being told in different countries around the world; to experience a
wealth of different writing and illustration styles. And it’s not just about
me. From the outset, I have aimed to share my findings with others – readers,
teachers, librarians – in a searchable online record on my site, and via social
media. I am hoping that my journey may inspire others to explore global
children’s literature, that book lovers may choose to read an unfamiliar title
as a result of reading one of my posts. I also have a growing collection of
physical books, which I would love to take into schools or libraries in due
course. I sometimes dream about zooming around in a minibus with shelves lined
with picture books from every country in the world …
What is it about this project that motivates
you the most?
The challenge and discovery aspects are huge
for me. Each time I decide on a destination, I wonder what I’m going to find
there. Then, I have the excitement of seeing my research gradually take shape.
Take Guinea for example, a small African nation with a low literacy rate and
where books are expensive commodities. And yet I was able to find a couple of
publishing houses operating in the market, one of which, Editions Ganndal,
specialises in children’s literature. In Argentina, I experienced the stunning
talents of Isol, Liniers and Jorge Luján for the first time through the
translations of Elisa Amado. To miss out on these exceptional creators is to
miss out.
What obstacles have you encountered on your
search, if any, and what surprising and unexpected things or people have
crossed your path?
I’ve stumbled a bit on this journey! I’ve lost count of the times I’ve followed a
lead, only to have it come to a dead end when I discover a fabulous-looking
title is not available in English, or out of print. It can be very frustrating,
but so satisfying later when I achieve a successful outcome.
The real surprise so far has been Twitter. I
remember hovering over that ‘Tweet’ button for about half an hour before
posting for the first time. I’ve tweeted a lot more since then and connected
with picture book lovers from around the world. I am amazed at Twitter people’s
passion for sharing ideas, opinions and information, and I am having so much
fun – and learning so much – by joining in.
How much research and what kind if any, is
needed for each visit?
I spend hours researching each destination. I
try to gain an overview of each country first, before looking for potential
titles to cover on my site. Most of my research is Internet-based; I read
online articles, posts on other book blogs, children’s book lists and sift
through publishers’ catalogues. Then I take a closer look at author, illustrator
and translator sites to find out more about them and their work. I also follow
up on leads by email. For Tonga, messages flew back and forth between
Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji for a couple of weeks as I narrowed my
search.
On your site you have created a travelogue
for each country you visit, full of descriptive sights, information about
books, bookshops, statistics on book buyers, youth literacy, book festivals/fairs,
and all things bookish. How did you choose the countries, and what criteria
does the picture book have to have?
I do love researching and writing those
country snapshots! The countries often choose themselves. I recently covered
picture books from Latvia on my site. That destination was inspired by a Facebook
post late last year. It featured a recently translated title from Latvian, One House for All (read our KBR review, here). The book cover was so
sumptuous and unusual that I decided to look into Latvian picture books then
and there. And I can because I have no particular itinerary mapped out, although
I have made a deliberate decision to hop from one continent to another.
Are they picture books for children only that
you seek out, and what percentage are translations into English from other
languages?
Yes, my focus is on children’s picture books.
I think they have so much to offer readers of all ages. I am trying to identify
‘authentic’ titles from each country I visit, so ideally books written and/or
illustrated by an author/illustrator with in-depth knowledge and experience of
that particular country. As a linguist and translator, I do have a keen
interest in identifying picture books in translation; I know firsthand how much
beauty can be found in books originally written in another language. But translated
literature only accounts for a very small fraction of the market in the
English-speaking world. Less than 3% of the books published in the US and UK
are translated from another language, according to articles I have read. (I am
unsure of the statistic for Australia.) I’m keen to see what the final
percentage of translated titles will be for Planet Picture Book.
I am also exploring picture books written in
English and wordless picture books, which have been another big discovery for
me on this journey. Oh, and titles in my second language, French, when a
particular book stands out, such as Je
suis fou de Vava, which I reviewed in my selection for Haiti, or when no
alternative appears to exist, which was the case in Guinea.
Are you able to make a comparison between
what you have uncovered in the international children’s picture book market,
and the picture books by Australian creators?
I don’t feel qualified to make a comparison
at this point. I’m still in the early stages of my project. I’d like to read
more international titles and more Australian picture books to gain a more
complete picture first. One theme does keep cropping up in my research,
however, although not with specific reference to the Australian picture book
market: darkness and truth in children’s literature. There were a couple of
beautiful articles about this recently by Matt de la Peña and Kate DiCamillo . I have the impression that there is potentially more freedom to
explore the darker aspects of life – sorrow, pain, fear, anger, death – in some
markets, or with certain publishers. I’d like to explore this idea in more
detail at some point.
Have you set a timeline for your travel and
research?
Ideally, I’d like to cover 40 countries per
year, which would mean a five-year project duration. In reality, my journey is
likely to take a little longer than that. The motivation is definitely there,
but time is an issue as I also work and have two young children to look after.
Additionally, I don’t have the resources to purchase dozens of picture books in
one go. So, I’m trying to work at a pace that is manageable and sustainable
over time.
Can you reveal where funding for such an
extensive and long term project was found?
Yes, it’s no secret! I am funding this
picture book adventure and, for the time being, it’s working well. I love
waking up and wondering where I am going to go next and what discoveries await
me.
If any KBR readers would like to recommend any international titles
for Laura's Planet Picture Book journey, please get in touch at www.planetpicturebook.com You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
Tomorrow is Harmony Day, celebrating cultural diversity around the nation. Our resident librarian, Sarah Steed, shares another fascinating list of children's books from all over the globe compiled by librarians from around the planet. Read about it in her post, The World Through Picture Books. You can download the list and set out on your own international picture book reading challenge just like Laura!
