The Boy With Flowers in His Hair Q&A with Jarvis

March 15th 2022

Can you explain the process behind The Boy with Flowers in His Hair? What inspired the idea and what materials did you use?

Like a lot of the books I have written, it began with an image. I doodled a boy with flowers growing out of his head. This felt like an image with a story. Often the way I write is visual too, so I will try and think of other images that connect with it. One was of a boy with a watering can sprinkling water on the boy’s flowers. This is when I realized it should be written from the point of view of his friend. The first words I wrote were, “His name is David. He’s the boy with flowers in his hair, and he’s my best friend.” A few more images came to mind – the boy stood alone with petals fluttering down around him was the key to working out what this story was all about.

Visually I wanted it to have an organic feel, and the place I started was with the flowers. Once I knew how they should look the rest fell into place naturally. I knew, because the story was so focused on the friendship, that backgrounds and environment wasn’t important at all. It was all about the two boys. So, the main thing I wanted to illustrate was the emotion and closeness of their friendship.

You’ve written and illustrated a variety of beautiful picture books. What started this journey of writing and illustrating children’s books? What advice might you give to anyone hoping to do the same someday?

I think it started when I wrote a few poems for my wife, Jenna. Little funny notes around the flat. Then I wrote a poem for the cat. Then I started writing other rhyming bits and bobs and accompanying them with illustration. It grew from there. I had previously worked as an album cover designer and animation director, among other creative jobs, but never illustration or publishing. In fact, I remember an old lecturer once said, after looking at my work, that I wasn’t going to be an illustrator and that advertising was more my path. But everyone’s path to publishing is different. I would say after being in different creative areas I have finally found a place that I feel is my creative home. Making children’s books feels like the most natural thing for me to be doing. I think that’s what my advice would be – to find the most natural way of creating. That doesn’t mean it has to feel “easy” but just feel “right”. That way I think your work feels uniquely yours.

The Boy with Flowers in his Hair is out now.