Patricia Cleveland-Peck
About Author
Patricia Cleveland-Peck lived in France and Ireland before settling in rural Sussex. She has published 14 children's books and has also written adult books and plays.
She now works as a travel journalist and, with a young granddaughter, she returned to the world of children's books with the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus and You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger which, together, have sold over 200,000 copies.
Interview
YOU CAN'T CALL AN ELEPHANT IN AN EMERGENCY
BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN'S BOOKS
JUNE 2020
Bestselling picture book You Can't Take an Elephant on a Bus has inspired a series of picture books of animals in increasingly improbable situations, and author PATRICIA CLEVELAND-PECK's fun take on the mishaps of elephants, chimpanzees, sloths and penguins - supported by DAVID TAZZYMAN's hilarious illustrations - has delighted children in homes and classrooms.
We asked PATRICIA CLEVELAND-PECK to tell us about what inspired the first book in the series, and to tell us about the latest book, YOU CAN'T CALL AN ELEPHANT IN AN EMERGENCY:
Q: When you wrote You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus, did you know that it would become a series?
A: When I wrote You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus I had no idea it would become a series. I was absolutely delighted that children liked it and wanted more.
Q: What gave you the initial idea for the first book, You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus? Why do you think they have struck a chord with young children?
A: I remember this clearly. My granddaughter Izzie was about 3 or 4 and one day she turned to my husband and said very seriously, "Grandpops,you can't take an elephant on the bus.." I have no idea why she said it, maybe she was comparing the size of her toy elephant and the real thing. Whatever the reason I am glad she said it and glad it stuck in my mind.
Q: Do you have a favourite so far in the series?
A: Not a favourite book but there are certain spreads I like a lot. The seal taxi driver because the words worked out well; 'With such slippery flippers he can' t grasp the wheel. The taxi will slither and probably swerve.'
Q: Can you tell us about the latest book, You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency?
A: You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency is another example of the silly animals wanting to be useful but not quite succeeding. They try to tackle fire fighting, flood rescue, roadside repairs and other services, just causing the usual chaos.
Q: Which scenario would be your worst nightmare?
A: I think I had most fun with the roller skating centipede. These books would never give me nightmares as I enjoy writing them too much but although it looks easy to other people, sometimes finding the right rhyme is quite hard. I tend to walk around the house muttering rhymes and sounding rather dotty.
Q: Were there any ideas that didn't get used for the final text?
A: Yes when it started to become a series I began to jot down lots of different scenarios, some of which haven't been used (yet!)
Q: Why do you think David Tazzyman's illustrations work so well with your texts?
A: David Tazzyman is the perfect illustrator for the series. Not only does he get the main animal characters perfectly silly looking but he also adds in lots of little details like the pig stranded on top of a car in the Emergency flood rescue spread and the toy elephant (looking very like our ringleader) under the skunk's bunk bed.
I know children spot and love these details - even (or especially) the elephant poo in Digger. I also love the centipede on roller-skates and the gorilla on a scooter.
Q: What else do you have planned for Elephant - and the assortment of other animals that come along with him?
A: The Elephant will appear again with some new animal friends when You Can't Take an Elephant on Holiday appears next year. Spoiler alert - they get things wrong again.
Q: Where is your favourite place to work, and what are you writing now?
A: My favourite place to write is my office in which I am now sitting. Here I have all the things I need to write; computer, iPad, iPhone, nice old desk, swivelly chair, filing cabinet, plenty of bookshelves and lots of my books - including picture book, some rather battered but loved, dating from my own childhood.
Q: What would be your dream writer's shed? And who wouldn't you want to help you build it?!
A: In fact I do have a gypsy caravan in my garden which could use but I certainly would not want that Elephant and friends anywhere near it - they'd demolish it without a qualm. In fact I prefer writing indoors - although I always carry a notebook where ever I go so I can jot down ideas.
Q: What are you most likely to be found doing when you're not at your desk?
Q: When I am not at my desk I am in my garden sitting reading or doing something with plants. I also have hens and geese, a small flock of sheep, two cats and a dog to look after (well, my son does most of this) and look at.
You Can't Call an Elephant in an Emergency
You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger
