Rekindling a love of reading from a young age: an interview with Carly Gledhill, children's author & illustrator

Once upon a time, at nightfall, there were stories that made toddlers' eyes sparkle, triggered bursts of laughter, and sometimes provoked a few murmurs of protest before bedtime. But today, in 2025, a survey* conducted by HarperCollins UK, a major British publisher, reveals that less than half of children aged 0 to 4 (41%) are read to regularly, compared to 64% in 2012. The decline is particularly marked among boys: only 29% of them, aged 0 to 2, are read to daily, compared to 44% of girls of the same age. These figures highlight the urgent need to revive the magic of reading aloud from the earliest age.

To address this, the British government has declared 2026 the "National Year of Reading," an initiative aimed at reviving the love of books by encouraging families to read together more often and promoting shared reading time at home, at school, and in libraries. Similar initiatives exist elsewhere in the world: in France, Ma Première Bibliothèque (My First Library) provides children from disadvantaged backgrounds with their own books to foster a love of reading from an early age, while in Finland, every newborn receives a bag of books as part of a national read-aloud program, allowing parents to introduce stories from birth and cultivate lifelong reading habits. The role of authors and illustrators who can captivate young readers has never been more crucial.

Reading and playing are fundamental to children's development. The International Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the United Nations, enshrines the right to leisure, sport, culture, and play as essential . Playing and reading contribute to the development of Imagination, creativity, and illustrations are an integral part of this process.

Carly Gledhill , a children's book author and illustrator based in Manchester, in the north of England, creates colorful and playful worlds, capable of transporting even the youngest children into the heart of the story from the very first page.

In this interview, she shares her creative process with us, explains the importance of nurturing toddlers' imaginations, and highlights why reading aloud remains an essential element of early development.

1. How did you get started in illustrating children's books?

Throughout my career, I have always created products designed for children. I spent several years working as a clothing designer, enjoying imagining patterns and illustrations. What I loved most was inventing characters and their stories, which naturally led me to pursue a master's degree in children's book illustration.

It then took me several years to find the courage to write and illustrate my own story, and then submit it to my agent. But this patience was rewarded: since then, my schedule has never been so full!

2. Let's talk about your creative process: do you generally have characters in mind from the start and build the story around them, or does the story come first and the characters develop over time?

Generally, I have a character in mind around whom I build the story, because it defines what they can do, like write or even fly! I always sketch them before fully immersing myself in the narrative, in order to better grasp their personality. This then facilitates the creation of the world and the accompanying storytelling.

For my last book, however, I made an exception: I had imagined three unlikely characters—a pencil , a peanut, and a jar of jam—for another project. I liked them so much that I wanted to write a story for them. It was a more difficult way to work, because I didn't know where it would lead. But that's how "Pencil's Best Story Ever" came about , a book in which Pencil writes a story and gets Peanut and Jam involved to help him act it out, resulting in all sorts of adventures and chaos.

3. How do you approach the illustration of emotions so that very young children can identify with them?

I try to make my characters as cute as possible, so that the reader immediately empathizes with them. Giving them a big head and a small body helps a lot in creating this effect.

Eyebrows are often an easy way to express emotion, but I don't often draw them on my characters: animals with eyebrows can look a little strange! So I rely on other clues: the character's posture , the direction of their gaze, a drooping ear, or a sad mouth. All these little details help convey emotions in a way that's understandable and accessible to very young children.

I also place great importance on the character's context and environment. The way the character interacts with objects or other characters, as well as the staging of scenes, reinforces the expression of feelings and helps children understand what the character is feeling.

4. Do you have a favorite project or character that you created, and what makes it particularly special to you?

That's a difficult question, but I would say that my favorite projects are probably the "Dot" books I illustrated for Camilla Reid and my latest work, "Pencil's Best Story Ever" .

I thoroughly enjoyed illustrating the “Dot” books , which follow the eponymous character, a cute and colorful animal, through a playful game of hide-and-seek. I was honored to be approached by Camilla , a renowned British author whose books have sold over 40 million copies worldwide.
These books are very visual, and young readers love manipulating the sliders. Seeing their reactions is always a magical moment.

“Pencil’s Best Story Ever” has a special meaning for me because at the time I was struggling with writing. I had lost confidence and I didn’t know if I should limit myself to illustration and leave the writing to someone else.

Instead of giving up, I decided to write a book just for myself: something completely funny and absurd, simply enjoying the creative process. Luckily, when I sent it to my agent, she found it funny and submitted it to a new publisher, Post Wave. They helped make the story even funnier, more coherent, and more offbeat, and I'm really proud of the final result.

5. Reading aloud to young children seems to be declining. Why do you think it's so important, and how can we encourage parents to make it a regular habit?

I don't think there's a better way to introduce a child to the world than by reading with them. Reading to a child opens up not only a verbal universe, but also a visual one, while offering the opportunity to ask questions and discover things for oneself.

It is also a wonderful shared experience, of which many of us retain precious memories from our own childhood.

We are living through a particularly rich period for children's publishing: there are now more varied , relevant, beautiful, and stimulating books than ever before. There truly is something for everyone. And if you feel a little lost, don't hesitate to ask a librarian or bookseller for advice: they are passionate about books and will be able to guide you to the perfect one.

6. Your books often celebrate creativity and imagination. How do you hope your stories will inspire children to explore their own creative narratives or ideas?

In every way possible! When I meet children, I always ask them who likes to draw or write—and most say yes, which is wonderful. I think the real challenge is to maintain that childhood creativity into adulthood, because all too often it fades with time.

I like to tell children that my job is really fun and exciting, that I'm just a big kid who loves what she does, and that they could do it too - why not?

7. Finally, if you could illustrate a classic, a myth or a tale (ancient or recent), which would you choose and why?

I've already had the pleasure of illustrating some classic works, such as "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wizard of Oz." But I would love to create a new version of Enid Blyton's Noddy, an iconic character in British children's literature: a little wooden boy living in Toy Town, whose lighthearted and humorous adventures explore friendship and community life. He was my favorite as a child, so he holds a very special place in my heart. The original stories could certainly use an update, particularly some of the characters, but the themes of friendship, fun, and the whimsical characters living in Toy Town would be wonderful to reimagine for a modern audience.

*Harper Collins UK Survey April 2025 https://corporate.harpercollins.co.uk/press-releases/new-research-reveals-that-parents-are-losing-the-love-of-reading-aloud/