Behind the Pages: A Conversation with Children's Book Author Lisa Mifsud
- justjanetcreative
- Feb 26
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 27
I recently sat down with Lisa to talk about her newly published book Dr Lisa's ABCs: Introduction to Phonics. I had the pleasure of working with Lisa to illustrate and design her debut book. So grab a cuppa, get comfy and let's dive in to this wonderful chat.
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me Lisa. Let's start with a little bit about yourself.
I'm a GP and mum from Melbourne. Life is pretty busy! I am a part owner of a practice and I work with RACGP to run the training program for doctors training to be GPs in the metro east of Victoria. I try not to say 'no' to opportunity when it arises. Which often doesn't lend itself to a great work life balance!
I have 2 amazing kids. They inspire me everyday to work hard and better myself. They keep me grounded, honest and accountable. I love them to bits!
At what point did you realise you wanted to write a book?
After reading "The Gruffalo" to my daughter I wondered if I could write. The story was so magical, fun to read and educational at the same time. I didn't give the thought much space, until I was trying to teach my daughter how to read, about a year later. I had just had my son and was exhausted. I went on the search for an easy way to introduce phonics. I basically wanted an easy fool proof way to read something and the correct sound would exit my mouth - without too much effort. I quickly realised there was nothing out there! So 2 years later - Janet and I have produced something that I'm really proud of.
Tell us a little bit about Dr Lisa's ABCs: Introduction to Phonics and inspired you to write it?
Dr Lisa's ABCs: Introduction to Phonics is designed to make early literacy both accessible and enjoyable for parents, teachers, and little learners alike. It's the only children's picture book out there that is written by a GP and edited by a speech pathologist. It introduces the first 26 most common letter sounds, giving children a strong foundation in reading and phonics. Each letter is showcased across a double-page spread (created by the amazing Janet!). Activities throughout the book offer interactive exercises that solidify the sounds and letter recognition skills essential to early literacy.
It is aimed at children aged 2-6 years old. However older children can still enjoy it and find it useful.
You worked with a speech pathologist to create this book about teaching phonics. Can you tell us a bit more about phonics and why they're important.
Phonological awareness is an understanding that whole words are made up of sound units. It involves the ability to identify, segment and blend individual sounds. It is a foundational pre-reading skill that is essential for literacy development.
This introductory book focuses on the phonological awareness skill of phonics; which is an understanding of how letters (graphemes) represent a sound (phoneme).
As the text is read aloud, children will learn to identify the most common sound made by the target letter of the page. In time, they will also learn to recognise the appearance of each target letter.
Perhaps one of the more daunting steps of self publishing your own picture book is finding an illustrator. What are some of your top tips for finding and choosing an illustrator?
So true. It was one of the toughest steps. My first piece of advice is trust your gut. I knew after the first sample illustration that Janet was 'the one'! She was really able to get into my mind and deliver artwork that complemented the text. Additionally, she was able to know what I wanted without me saying it! I had asked for sample illustrations from about 8 other illustrators - but loved Janet's style immediately.
We met regularly via zoom and I tried my best to be very clear with what I wanted, what my expectations were and timelines. Equally, Janet did the same before we agreed to work together. This is such an important step to ensure everyone knows what is achievable and what is possible.
What was the most challenging part of the whole self publishing process? And what was the most enjoyable?
The ongoing challenge is trusting that you're good enough to do it. Imposter syndrome is real. It's a really hard, long process. But you can't give up.
I loved seeing the book come together and then reading it my kids!
What is your favourite spread?
D - I love the colours and all the details.
Who is your favourite main character?
Felix the frog was the sample illustration that won my heart - and still is probably my favourite character.
What about the little details in the book?
I gave Janet the impossible task of including animals and objects in the background that also started with the target letter (and fit the picture!). She nailed it and I love how well that turned out.
Finally, what is one piece of advice you'd give to inspiring children's book authors who are looking to self publish their book.
Don't give up. Your idea is worth getting out there. Keep going!
Dr Lisa's ABCs: Introduction to Phonics is available to purchase via the Cockatoo Publications website
Follow Lisa on Instagram at Cockatoo Publications
Read more about the illustration and design of the book here
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