Behind the Pages: A Conversation with Children's Book Author Krystal Wade

I recently sat down with Krystal Wade to chat about her books Mabel's Magical Meal and Finding Toby's Smile. She shared how becoming an author helped her rediscover her spark after motherhood, and why, no matter what, having her own books on her children’s shelf means everything.

I also had the pleasure of illustrating and designing Finding Toby's Smile. So grab a cuppa, get comfy, and enjoy the chat.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me Krystal. Let's start with a little bit about yourself.

My name is Krystal Wade. I’m a wife, mother and a primary school teacher. I’ve always loved crafting stories when I was little, and love to read children’s books to my own son and students. I am someone who is very self critical and not very brave, but becoming a first time mother pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and take a chance on something for myself.

At what point did you realise you wanted to write a book?

Watching my baby love books. It became part of our daily routines to read multiple books a day. I thought, how cool would it be if he was able to read a book that his mum wrote?! So, I wrote one!

You’ve written two amazing books! Tell me a bit about your first book Mabel’s Magical Meal. What inspired you to write it and what is was like working with your Matt.

Mabel’s Magical Meal was inspired by my son, who was showing a great deal of interest in books. He especially enjoyed colourful books and loved pointing to things of interest on the page. I wanted to create a book that would be ready for his next stage of development. Mabel’s Magical Meal showcases the colours of the rainbow, foods he often eats (fruits and vegetables), and a wide range of everyday items on each page. When the book was published, he was able to point to and recognise the sounds particular items made, as well as the names of different objects. Working with my husband Matt was interesting. I loved being able to see every single step of the way, but I also didn’t get those special wow moments of surprise I got when I received an email of stage completions. I also felt that I was constantly bothering Matt, if he was watching a movie, I’d get annoyed because he hadn’t worked on my pages. It had it’s benefits of being free, and the ability to tell my children it was created by Mum and Dad. But I probably wouldn’t do it again. I liked the anticipation and the extra marketing/exposure having another person gives.

Tell us a bit about Finding Toby’s Smile and what inspired you to write it…

Finding Toby’s Smile was inspired by both my years of teaching and my experience as a mum. As my son headed into the “terrible twos,” I wanted a book that could help him recognise different emotions. This book is much more wordy compared to my first and follows a clear storyline, but the illustrations are very detailed and allow children as young as two to recognise emotions through the images. It’s a perfect book to read in primary schools, as it shows how our feelings can sometimes take control of us and highlights the importance of recognising emotions, reaching out for support, and having people around us to help us through sad moods.

What is your favourite spread from Finding Toby’s Smile and why?

I have two. 1. The art room and the handwritten note. This is the turning point in the book for Toby, and I think flows really nicely, I also love Echo in it holding up the paper chain of itself. The second favourite is the 3,2,1 and throw page. This page too a bit of tweaking and back and forth corresponding. It took feedback from my sister, and my husbands input to master what we were all aiming for. This page to me represent teamwork, and I love that the page is promoting supporting one another and having positive energy.

What about a favourite small detail from Finding Toby’s Smile?

I have a few small details that mean a lot to me in Finding Toby’s Smile. 1) The blue wren on the window to pay tribute to my publishing house; Wren Tales Publishing. 2) My cat, Stitch, that past away at age of 19. 3) The painting of the moose and bear to pay tribute to my sister, brother-in-law and nephew who live in Canada.

Finally, what is one piece of advice you'd give to inspiring children's book authors who are looking to self publish their book.

Do your research. Don’t rush! Looking back I would have taken a longer time with my first book. I was so eager to get it out there and enjoy it, but in hindsight I’d like to have built a following first, and really made sure it was perfect. I didn’t realise how much marketing would take a toll after 1.5 years. So be sure to know it is okay to have a rest and reset.

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Mabel's Magical Meal and Finding Toby's Smile are available to purchase via the Wren Tales Publishing website

Follow Krystal on Instagram at @wrentale.publishing

Read more about the illustration and design of the book here