World Ocean’s Day is just around the corner (June 8th) so why not dive into the wet and wonderful world of Fran Preston-Gannon’s Little Lim and the Golden Treasure.
Little Lim is a great story for early readers, with plenty of full colour illustrations and a lovely tale of exploring, perseverance and friendship.
Author and illustrator Fran has very kindly written for us about the process of bringing Lim to life and what she loves about creating stories for children…
It has always felt more natural for me to describe myself as an illustrator rather than an author. The title of “author” was one I wore with much unease for quite some time into my career of making books.
When I left school and went on to study illustration at Kingston University, I felt a great sense of relief, thinking my days of writing were finally over. No more essays for me – I was going to art school! I had a wonderful time over the next three years, developing my drawing skills and trying to figure out who I was as an image maker (though I made a lot of terrible art along the way).
However, after graduating and starting to seek out publishers interested in my ideas and illustrations, I realized that I was going to have to find some words and I was going to have to arrange those words on the page alongside my pictures in a cohesive way.
This was, to say the least, a daunting prospect. I was diagnosed with dyslexia in primary school, and words had always felt like my nemesis – something I had been battling with from the very moment I was introduced to them. Despite this, I was determined to create picture books. As wonderful as wordless books can be, there is a limited market for them, so I knew I would have to write, which meant pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve learned and improved my skills in writing picture books. I can now happily say that I feel much less intimidated by the process and, as with most things once practiced, I am far better at it than when I started.
Although I still feel much more natural with the illustrating part of my job, creating pictures is my happy place – a place where an entire day can slip by without my noticing. The late, great Ken Robinson calls this feeling “The Element”, the point at which talent meets personal passion. (I still pinch myself that I found a career that allows me to draw all day!)
Writing, however, remains much harder and less natural for me. It’s something that requires a lot of concentration and mental energy. Even while writing this piece, I’ve left it until the last possible moment before the deadline because it’s a challenge, and I had pictures to draw!
This is why I must be strict with myself. No pudding (illustrating) until I’ve finished my dinner (writing). When making a book, I may allow myself some character sketches and maybe one colour illustration to get a feel for the style and setting, but the words need to be in a place I’m happy with before I begin to draw. That’s usually not a problem with picture books, which typically average a 500–1000-word count.
But then along came the character of Little Lim.
Emerging from lockdown in London in 2020, my family visited a beautiful island on the west coast of Scotland. After being stuck in a flat for months, there was so much space. Watching my young daughter play for hours in the waves and rock pools got me thinking: What if there were tiny homes hidden in the rock pools? Who might live there?
The character of Limpet Pebble (Little Lim, to those who know her) sprang, fully formed, into my mind. But I knew she would not fit within the constraints of a 32- or 40-page picture book. Her world felt like it needed more space. But that meant more words.
The first draft was 6,000 words long. That felt like a lot, but it didn’t feel right. My editor suggested it needed more. My goal became 12,000 words. Did I even know that many?
While writing Little Lim and the Golden Treasure, my daughter was around seven. I thought a lot about her as I shaped the story, considering what she would enjoy and understand. The wonderful team at Piccadilly Press allowed me to create this book with full-colour illustrations, which thrilled me. Plus, having more room to develop characters and settings, and being able to push the story further, was a welcome challenge. All this helped make the transition from picture books to chapter books so much smoother.
Eventually, in early 2025, after years of thinking about this idea, I finally held my first chapter book in my hands. The process, from the tiny spark of an idea to the physical book, is endlessly fascinating to me. It’s also a process that involves many people, and having a brilliant editor, like my own—the fabulous Ruth Bennett—made all the difference. She guided me through the journey of creating this longer narrative, and her advice and expertise were truly invaluable. I learnt a lot. I will never stop being amazed that my books are out there in the world, being shared by families. That my picture books are in classrooms and read aloud or as part of a family’s night time ritual.
I could talk all day about the importance of reading aloud, of sharing books as a group activity. But I also know the importance of reading alone for pleasure.
I thought a lot about the initial sharing of this book between a child and their grown-up, but also that my book and my characters may be part of that wonderful step towards independent reading. That it might help a child take their first steps on the journey of reading for pleasure. What an honour that is.
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Little Lim is a short chapter book that would be suitable to read aloud or for younger students to enjoy independently. You can find it below along with a few other illustrated chapter books out this year. Many thanks again to Fran for sharing her and Lim’s story.
