It's the final episode of our mini series and the final episode of the season! Today's guest is Marion Lindsay, who I can say is a very loved illustrator in my house.

Marion Lindsay is a children's book illustrator who lives and works in the UK. She is best known for creating the artwork for the chapter book series "Zoey and Sassafras" written by Asia Citro. These wonderful stories allow Marion to draw some of her favourite things; a strong female main character and her brilliantly fluffy cat, magical creatures and science experiments, all set in a lush, natural environment.
Marion has always been arty and after studying illustration for her first degree she moved to Sweden for the better part of her twenties, absorbing influences from Scandinavian culture and developing a lifelong love for all things Moomin. On returning to the UK Marion completed an MA in children's book illustration at Cambridge School of Art, winning the prize for Best New Talent in her graduating year. Since then she has illustrated a great many chapter books as well as picture books, school books and all sorts of things in between!Marion lives with her family in the Cotswolds where, whenever she gets a moment, she likes to paint a picture or decorate something; anything that needs a picture or a pattern. She has a great love for black ink on paper which alternates with a great desire to use every colour in the pallette!

Relevant links:

You can follow Marion on Instagram or find her on her website.

Books mentioned: Alligator Pie, Maisie Hitchens, Zoey and Sassafras

About the show:

You can find all of the books from Turning Back the Pages on Bookshop.org.

Follow ⁠Ally⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠Twitter/X⁠

Thank you to ⁠Juqboxmusic and ⁠zXennial_Music⁠ for the show music

Welcome to the second week of the mini art season, aka, the season where I, someone who knows next to nothing about art, talk to the artists of children's books. These artists have been so wonderful and interesting to talk to, and this week's guest, Amy Grimes, is no exception!

As a child, fairytales and fantastic illustrations captivated Amy’s mind and sparked her passion for beautiful artwork and writing. Over the years she has created various kinds of art but her favorites pieces are those inspired by stories. She has illustrated two of her own children’s books as well as several books by other authors and she writes a quarterly column for Cultivating Oaks Press. She believes artwork that reflects goodness and truth can bring light into peoples lives, encouraging them and giving them hope. Her inspiration comes from long walks, rambling prayers, starry skies, and dreamy fairy tales. She enjoys a quiet life with her husband in a house full of treasured books and bright colors. A sleek, black cat and two very silly bird dogs keep her company each day while she paints.

Relevant links:

Amy's Instagram

And The Light Comes In

Lucilla and the Gnarly Skein

About the show:

You can find all of the books from Turning Back the Pages on Bookshop.org.

Follow ⁠Ally⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠Twitter/X⁠

Thank you to ⁠Juqboxmusic⁠ and ⁠zXennial_Music⁠ for the show music

Welcome to the mini season where we are discussing the art of children's books. This week, my guest is Jenny Williams.

Jenny Williams is the artist and owner behind Carrot Top Paper Shop, an online shop for bookish kindred spirits founded in 2015. She is also the coauthor of Eat Like a Heroine (End Game Press 2024). Jenny is passionate about nurturing creativity and approaching every aspect of life with a heroine mindset. She and her family live in a little house in the big woods in Oklahoma. Find her online at artistjennywilliams.com and @carrottoppapershop on Instagram.
Relevant Links:

Watch Mary Steenburgen read Strega Nona.

About the show:

You can find all of the books from Turning Back the Pages on Bookshop.org.

Follow ⁠Ally⁠ on ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠Twitter/X⁠

Thank you to ⁠Juqboxmusic⁠ and ⁠zXennial_Music⁠ for the show music