Author and illustrator Ken Wilson Max has created many beautiful books and The Big Green is as glorious as they come. Based on true events and exhibiting the way people are taking action this is a bright and bold picture book that tells an important story (there’s also some non-fiction info at the end if you’re looking for extra links to learning).
Ken very kindly answered some questions for us about The Big Green which he wrote and illustrated…
Based on real life events, The Big Green shares valuable information in a bright, bold and enticing way – why did you want to tell this story?
I had two aims in mind; to show that the same everyday life happens in other places, even if they are far way. And also to encourage readers to think about how their small actions can make a big difference when it comes to climate action.
The illustrations are stunning, what mediums do you use and how does bringing the words and the pictures work when you do both?
Thank you! I usually work with acrylic paint of paper, however I’ve started adding digital tools to broaden my range. In the case of The Big Green I used Gouache, watercolour and acrylic while developing the look, and then made the final artwork digitally.
There’s non-fiction info in the back of the book to help people learn a bit more, what sort of research did you do in preparation of illustrating?
I’ve been working with ideas around sustainability for more than decade now so the scientific part of the research came from a lot of papers I’ve read in that time. The idea is to find a way to bring the research to life in a relatable way. Then I jumped into Malian culture as much as possible, from music to art and fabric. It was useful to look at how Malians carry themselves- hand gestures, body language, laughter and excitement all helped to build realistic characters for the story. As with all the books in this set we try to find facts that speak to children and it’s always hard to choose only six.
Do you have a favourite spread from this story and if so which one is it?
I have two favourite images. I really like the front endpapers which set the scene quite nicely. That image tries show people going about the morning as normal. Secondly I like spread where the children are looking at the ladies carrying food and water on their heads. It’s so African, and yet always elegant and impressive in real life.
What would you say to children who like drawing and illustrating but don’t think they are very good at it?
We all feel like we aren’t good enough at any kind of performance, like drawing or painting. But with time and practice that feeling can be used to make really good work. So try to draw as often as possible. Carry a notebook with you. Observe and draw what you see for practice. Don’t worry about mistakes, just draw over them. Then later think how you could use those drawings to make more different drawings. Always give yourself time.
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Many thanks to Ken for sharing this insight with us. You can find out more about The Big Green and some of Ken’s other books using the links below.
