TOM PERCIVAL’s latest book, Squirrel and Duck: Mission Improbable, follows two unlikely friends Squirrel and Duck as they outwit bungling burglars, with only the help of their pet cactus! Read on for a Q&A with the author.
Squirrel and Duck are a funny duo! What inspired you to bring these two unlikely friends together?
Why, thank you very much! I was actually working on a very serious, quite emotionally draining novel for older readers when suddenly Squirrel and Duck barged RIGHT into my brain and started bickering and I knew I had to come up with a story for them.
The idea of two talking animals being the only ones of their kind is intriguing. How did you come up with that concept?
I knew that I didn’t want them to exist in a world full of talking animals, because then there wouldn’t be any tension. The pair of them NEEDED to basically be stuck together, because if they had a choice, they probably would choose to be ANYWHERE other than with each other. Or at least, they would at the start of the book.
The book is full of humour and adventure – what was your favourite funny moment to write?
I really liked Mr Spike’s appearance at the very start. I wasn’t planning for Duck to have a totally static, non-sentient, pet cactus who she preferred to her talking squirrel companion, that just happened and it surprised me, so that’s why I like it so much! I usually plan my books METICULOUSLY, but with Squirrel and Duck, I started by just writing whatever came into my head and then jiggled it all around to make sense afterwards.
If you could have a conversation with any animal, which one would it be and what would you ask?
My dog Luna. I would like to tell her in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS that if I leave some food safely out of the way up on the worktop that does NOT mean it is there for her to try to eat. I would also like to reiterate to her that a plentiful supply of dog food is always put in her bowl ON THE FLOOR, and that is how the system works. I’d also tell her that I think she’s the best dog in the world and would tickle her behind her ears.
To be fair, I do all of this quite a lot already…
Can we expect more adventures with Squirrel and Duck in the future?
YES! I am currently writing the third book in the series, ‘Quack to the Future’. Each of the books features a pun on a famous film title and I was VERY pleased with myself for that one.
Describe this book in three words.
Smart, silly, and errr… sausages?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Percival © Jeremiah Collis
Tom Percival had an unconventional childhood in a remote and beautiful part of South Shropshire and these formative years are almost certainly what first got him interested in writing and drawing. Tom is now a writer, artist, video producer and musician. He is the author of many bestselling picture books, including the six titles in his award-winning ‘Big Bright Feelings’ for Bloomsbury (Perfectly Norman, Ruby’s Worry, Ravi’s Roar, Meesha Makes Friends, Tilda Tries Again and Milo’s Monster). He lives in Gloucestershire with his partner, their two children and a dog called Luna.
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