Peters Children's Book of Year, Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales: Q&A with Catherine Cawthorne and Sara Ogilvie

May 19th 2025

Up next in our Peters Children's Book of the Year spotlight is the Children's Non-Fiction Book of the Year, and overall winner, Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales. Effortlessly blending fairy tales, science facts, and narrative with witty writing and characterful illustrations, it's a worthy winner and a fantastic title for primary reading for pleasure and for topic boxes.

Author Catherine Cawthorne and illustrator Sara Ogilvie join us in our award Q&A. They share their core childhood fairy tale memories as well as the importance of showcasing science, like reading, as fun to children.

Catherine Cawthorne | Author Catherine Cawthorne writes books which blend fact and fiction together. Her first love has always been books, and some of her earliest memories are reading fairy tales with her dad. She spent most of her childhood either up a tree, reading, or forming secret societies in her best friend's shed. Catherine is also a keen scientist – she has an MSc in Human Communication Science and worked for many years as a Speech and Language Therapist before starting her career as an author. DISCOVER BOOKS BY CATHERINE CAWTHORNE

Sara Ogilvie | Illustrator Sara Ogilvie is an award-winning illustrator and printmaker. Her picture book collaborations have made numerous shortlists including The Roald Dahl Funny prize, Sainsburys Picture Book awards and the Waterstones Childrens Prize. In 2011 she was awarded as one of Booktrust’s Best New Illustrator. DISCOVER BOOKS BY SARA OGLIVIE

Congratulations on Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales being voted as not only Peters Non-fiction Book of the Year, but also the overall winner of 2025! How does it feel to be chosen by teachers, school librarians and public librarians from across the UK?

Catherine: I feel so grateful and excited! I’ve met so many teachers and librarians who work so hard to give children access to interesting, diverse, engaging books. To be chosen by them is a real honour.

Sara: Fantastic!

Our award focuses on books which excite and engage children on their reading journey. What do you think we adults – as leaders and carers – can do to encourage reading for pleasure?

Catherine: Be a reading role model. Let children see you reading. We can tell children that we love books and that reading is wonderful as much as we like, but it is far more compelling for them to actually see us making the time to read ourselves.

Offer a full menu! Nobody likes all books. If we want children to read for pleasure, they need to be able to discover what interests them - what they relate to, what makes them laugh, where they see themselves reflected, what they want to find out about. If they only have access to a narrow selection of books, the chances are they won’t find that brilliant book that will spark them into becoming a reader. Which is why school libraries and public libraries are so essential.

Sara: Share our enjoyment of discovering new things through reading in its many forms. Visit local libraries to help inspire children and support them to develop their own particular interests.

Fairy tales are often the first tales we come across and hook us into storytelling. Do you have a core childhood memory about fairy tales?

What was the inspiration behind blending fairy tales with practical science? Was it fun writing and illustrating this combination?

Catherine: I was reading the story of Rapunzel. I remember thinking, “Really? Surely you’d SCREAM if an adult human actually climbed up your hair? In fact, wouldn’t it all rip out?”. The idea took off from there. I am a firm believer that nonsense and science can be found everywhere if you look hard enough! 

Sara: Catherine’s early draft was called ‘The Science of Fairytales’ and it was clear how entertaining it would be to work on. With the range of information and the complexity of each fairytale, I thought a comic book approach would work well.

There’s a lot of illustration packed into the book and I enjoyed researching and working out how it could all fit together. Professor Wolfy was devised to link everything and keep the scientific questions and task running smoothly.

Illustrations by Sara Ogilvie, from Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales

Why is it important to showcase science in a fun way to children? How might reading and science work hand in hand in encouraging reading for pleasure?

Catherine: I think some children have the impression (wrongly!) that science must be dry and serious, or that you have to have a superbrain to understand it. But children are natural scientists because they question everything, which is exactly the mindset of a great scientist!

I think showing science in a fun way gives them the confidence that (a) they can do it and (b) it’s for them. Wolfy has been great for this because he appeals to children who like both fiction and non-fiction, and Sara’s comic strips and funny illustrations make it so accessible.

Sara: Science is about asking creative questions about the world around us and this is something children naturally do so it makes sense that this should be encouraged in a fun way.

What are you working on at the moment? (and when can we read or see it!)

Catherine: I hope you like Ancient Greek Myths! Wolfy certainly does, and he’s currently questioning some of the science behind them. Live snakes for hair? Seriously?

Sara: We are collaborating a new book together so watch this space…

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales Did a princess really feel a tiny pea through a mountain of mattresses? And could a pumpkin actually turn into a carriage to carry Cinderella to the ball? Of course not! It's all a load of fairytale NONSENSE! Or is it . . . ? The Big Bad Wolf is on a mission to find the truth behind these tales, and clear his name in the process.  Combining STEM topics with classic stories children know and love, this hilarious non-fiction picture book is perfect for inquisitive children always asking big questions! You pay £5.91           RRP £7.99 Save 26% DISCOVER

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