Football has always been a pillar of Jenny's family, from Saturdays spent in the stands to the radio playing at her grandma's house. So when the chance to illustrate a series inspired by the Barclays Women's Super League landed in her inbox, the decision was not a difficult one.
She talks us through capturing the pace of the game in a still image, getting the crowd scenes right, making sure Ella Toone looks like Ella Toone, and why it matters that every child can open a book and see themselves in it. She also has a fairly clear preference about which club she gets to draw next.
What drew you to the Things' Football Adventures series and the opportunity to illustrate stories inspired by women's football?
When the opportunity to illustrate for the WSL came into my inbox it felt like a no brainer. Growing up football was (and still is) a pilar in my family. Every Saturday spent at a stadium in all weathers, the radio playing at my Grandmas and the collective cheers (and cries) when our teams got promoted, there was no doubt that this project would be a great fit. When I told my wife about the opportunity she told me with full certainty that I had to do it, for the little girls like us that grew up with the game but didn’t quite know our place in it. Not only did I know it would be a fun project to illustrate, I knew that it had the chance of showing kids what the WSL stood for.
When creating artwork for young readers, how do you make football feel exciting, accessible and fun on the page?
Kids books are meant to be fun and that’s something you have to remember when making them. Too often creatives get stuck when trying to fit every element on a page and get lost in the details but remembering the young audience really helps. I wanted to show the dynamic nature of football, the passion in the fans and the unity it all brings so getting the crowd scenes right was very important. I really wanted to show the fast paced nature of the sport in the illustrations with the Things’ and fill the pages with details that readers can revisit.
The first book brings together Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion. How did you capture the individuality and identity of both clubs through your illustrations?
The obvious answer is illustrating each team’s distinctive colours but it actually goes a little bit further than that. I was given a list of very talented players that were to feature in the book and making sure I got them looking right was very important in getting the identity of the clubs across. I had to make sure Ella Toone looked like Ella Toone, not only in her features but in her poses and interactions on the page too.
Representation is a key part of this project. How important is it for children to see themselves reflected in the characters and football experiences they encounter in books?
It is so important for kids to be able to open a book and see themselves in it. Being able to see a character with the same skin colour, background or weakness to over come is incredibly liberating and not something that should ever be glossed over. In all my illustrations I want kids to be able to look at my work and feel seen. In terms of this book, I really wanted to make football seem approachable to everyone and to make little girls (and boys too) see how much more there is to the football community.
What do you think illustrations can do that words alone sometimes can't when it comes to sparking a child's imagination and love of football?
Illustrations in kids books are there to add to the story and help children understand the words put in front of them. They also act as a stepping stone for a kids imagination, opening up their ability to conceptualise more than what they see. This book/ series aim is to highlight women’s football and show kids what it has to offer. I hope that any kid reading the book can see a shared love of football and it can encourage them to get involved in any way.
Looking at the wider series, what excites you most about helping bring all 14 Barclays Women's Super League clubs to life for young readers?
I am excited to see the whole Women’s Super League series as one and to have the opportunity to draw so many kids favourite teams and players. Going to football matches and seeing young kids wearing their favourite players name on their back is so sweet and I hope my illustrations can bring them the same joy. I also can’t wait to hopefully get the chance to draw my team in one of the books (hint: it’s the Villa!!)