Magic in Windowland follows a window doodle that springs to life and goes on an imaginative adventure with other doodles. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

I wrote Magic in Windowland during the pandemic. You could call it one of the bright sides! I am a scientist by profession. Both me and my husband are. We are based in Germany, but our families are in India. When the pandemic started last year, like most countries in Europe, Germany went into strict lockdown. Overnight things changed. We were asked to work from home, until further notice. In the beginning things worked out okay because we all thought it would be a temporary situation. But, as time passed, it started to get worse. Our four year old daughter was having a really hard time, staying away from kindergarten. We did not have a TV at home, because we never really needed one. Eventually, working at home became impossible. So I started to read books to my daughter. Over a hundred and twenty of them.We would read together and then play out the stories. When my husband and I tried to work on our computers, I saw that our daughter found herself a new way to stay busy. She started doodling on the windows. She would draw Pip and pretend like he was real. I noticed her playing with her doodle ‘illustrations’ on the window. That’s what made me think, ‘why not?’ What if our world had a secret universe hidden somewhere? On our window panes perhaps? A universe with its own laws and Physics … the concept fascinated me, and I wrote the book to add a bit of Magic to our complex mundane lives.

I loved the art in the book. What was the art collaboration process like to bring the story to life?

The art credits go to Aliaksandra! In the beginning, I had not thought to make Magic in Windowland into a picture book, you know. I just wanted to write a story for a blog or something. So I looked for some affordable illustrators on Fiverr and that’s how we got introduced. Aliaksandra saw my script and immediately jumped on it. She was so excited and encouraging about the story that I decided to give it a shot with a proper book. We had one or two zoom meetings in which I explained to her how I saw the story happening. Then Aliaksandra came up with the very interesting idea to mix stick figures with full colour illustrations. I have to admit, it was a really bold move, because to make stick figures the most eye-catching elements of a full colour illustration, is really really difficult. But she tried anyway and I think she did a brilliant job. Some illustrators have told me since that the illustrations could have been better … more colourful … perhaps they are right, but I do not, for once, regret using Aliaksandra’s services for this project.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I wanted my readers to enjoy a fun story about freedom, friendship, the ability to do absolutely anything in the world, with imagination. I wanted my readers to relate to the doodles and see Captain Barnaby, as a sort of father figure … their usual partner in crime. But most importantly, I wanted the story to have something in store for everyone. While it should be able to stir imagination and play with little children, it should also take the older reader on a walk down memory lane. I wanted this book to be one that the entire family wants to read together, and not just another picture book on the shelf.

This is book one in the Pip’s Adventures in Windowland series. What can readers expect in book two?

Hmmm… that’s a surprise! I can give you a clue. Windowland is expanding. There are going to be new characters and some unexpected interactions with humans!

Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website