Shakespeare for Lower Key Stage Two

The Will Shakespeare Mysteries combines the bard with crime solving and humour and is sure to entertain.

Our Q & A with author Kaz Penney and illustrator Sammy Elgie sheds some light on the series ready for Act Two out in August…

Q&A with author Kaz Penney

Why did you decide to introduce Will Shakespeare into the very popular world of ‘people who solves crimes’ fiction?

The idea of writing something about Will Shakespeare as a boy first occurred to me in 2020 – there’s barely anything known about his childhood, and that blank space seemed like a gift for an author. Even in the first draft Will ended up solving a crime, but I gradually strengthened the idea to make that the focus of his character. Like so many children and adults, I love detective fiction and the excitement of working out ‘who done-it’. Even though the crime novel didn’t exist in the 16^th century – neither did the word ‘detective’ – it was easy to imagine that a young Will Shakespeare would also have loved crime stories. Since I suspect he was also pretty ambitious, it was then a short step to have him wanting to be the greatest ‘person who solves crimes’ in England, or ideally the world.

There are lots of references to the actual life and experiences of Shakespeare, what sort of research did you do prior to / during writing?

I had an advantage here since I’ve been really interested in the Tudor period since I was a child. I studied Tudor history at school and then at university, which meant I already had a reasonable level of knowledge when I started planning the book. However, since I love researching, I also spent time (and still am) reading more recent publications on Shakespeare’s life and times. Just this year I discovered a great book about Shakespeare and maths (Much Ado About Numbers by Rob Eastaway). The internet can also be really useful. For example, one of the characters in the Stinky Stolen Toenails is called Marmaduck. This is a genuine Tudor name I found in an online resource for parish marriage records from the late 16^th century.

There’s lots of kid humour throughout, was that your inner kid or did you call on any actual kids to help with that?

I’m afraid that’s actually entirely me! I’m not sure what that says about my sense of humour….

Will there be more adventures for Will and Tybalt, can you give us any details?

Yes indeed! There are four books in the series, book 2 will be out later this year and books 3 and 4 are out in 2027. Book 1 is inspired by Romeo and Juliet, and the other three books are inspired by other well-known Shakespeare plays. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can tell you that in book 2, Will and Tybalt get roped into a school trip and end up on a scary adventure somewhere very much north of Stratford upon Avon…

The illustrations are a great addition, are you part of the illustration process at all or is that all down to Sammy?

The fabulous illustrations are all down to Sammy – it’s a very special skill. She’s produced illustrations in two different styes and they really are transformative. It’s been a huge amount of fun seeing characters that have lived in my head (for quite a while!) being brought to life by such a talented artist. The Andersen art department have also been brilliant. I’m beyond delighted with the way the book has turned out.

Q&A with illustrator Sammy Elgie

Had you illustrated for this age group before?

No—I hadn’t! I started by immersing myself in middle-grade fiction and experimenting with how my own style might work. Art Director Kate Grove was amazing throughout the project, giving practical advice and feedback that helped me find a style suited to this age group.

How do you handle creative blocks?

I leave a tricky illustration and start another. Returning with fresh eyes often gives me new ideas and usually makes the image funnier or more expressive than my first attempt.

How do you know when a drawing works?

When a drawing feels alive and makes me genuinely smile or laugh at my own work—that’s the best feeling. Some days flow effortlessly, other days I struggle—but the moments of “click” are magic.

Did you develop a specific style for the book?

I worked in two styles: one more stylised, the other loose and childlike, like doodles from Will’s diary. Seeing them together added another layer to the storytelling and gave the book a playful rhythm.

Were there challenges with the styles?

Definitely. With the more refined illustrations, I had to resist realism. My instinct is to perfect proportion, perspective, and detail—but here I had to simplify, work fast, and stop before overworking the drawings. Letting go was hard, but freeing.

How was illustrating your debut book?

I loved it. The Will Shakespeare Mysteries is full of humour, intrigue, silly suspense, and gloriously gross Tudor characters—I laughed and winced while drawing. It’s my debut as a children’s book illustrator, and achieving a lifelong dream has been incredible.

Which style did you enjoy working in the most?

I loved working in the diary-style illustrations. They didn’t need to look “good,” which felt incredibly liberating. The scratchy, playful linework reminded me of my own childhood doodles and made the process joyful.

How did you approach the characters?

I sketched a wide range of characters. Some were so vivid I could imagine them in multiple poses before reading the full manuscript; others went through a few iterations. Character design was all about energy, body language, and making emotions clear and fun.

Did you work digitally or by hand?

Although I love ink, speed was key here, so I worked entirely on iPad using Procreate. It let me tweak poses, resize characters, and experiment easily until a pose felt alive.

How do you approach backgrounds?

Backgrounds can feel like an afterthought, but I constantly challenge myself with dynamic perspectives to add drama. I check photos occasionally—like a Tudor chest—but mostly I trust my imagination. Compositions drawn from my mind’s eye almost always feel more energetic and playful.

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Many thanks to Kaz and Sammy for answering our questions about their Will Shakespeare Mysteries series. The newest title The Pearly Pants is out this month. Find out about both books in the series using the links below or get in touch with us if you need a bespoke Lower Key Stage Two selection.