Rudie Nudie

Rudie Nudie

It's Time to Get Nudie!

'One, two Rudie Nudie,
Rudie Nudie in the bath...'

From CBCA award-winning author-illustrator Emma Quaycomes a delightful new picture book that celebrates those nudie moments between bath and bedtime. Emma captures all the joy and energy of childhood in this irresistible rhyming tale.

With its charming illustrations and lively text, Rudie Nudie is destined to become an instant family favourite!

Emma Quay wanted to be a children's book illustrator from a very early age. After moving from England to Australia in 1993, she began her illustrating career and has since become one of Australia's most sought-after picture-book artists. She has won numerous awards, including the 2010 CBCA Early Childhood Book of the Year for Bear and Chook by the Sea. Emma lives in Sydney with her husband and two daughters.
www.emmaquay.com

Rudie Nudie
Harper Collins Australia
Author: Emma Quay
ISBN: 9780733323355
Price: $24.99

Interview with Emma Quay

Question: What inspired Rudie Nudie?

Emma Quay: The book was inspired by the children of family friends, who would come for sleepovers and insist on doing a nudie dash after their baths. They would skip and sing their way around the house, finding great delight in the freedom and the fun of it all!

I get such a response from people when they hear the title of the book. Everyone seems to instantly recognise the term 'rudie nudie', and either fondly remember their own childhood, their children at that age, or tell me they have a couple of little rudie nudies at home right now.

Question: What do you enjoy most about writing books for children?

Emma Quay: I love to reach children with my books: to know they have been moved in some way - to laughter, to (gentle) tears, to sleep. I am often reminded that a picture book has a life beyond its creators: I hear about children who request Good Night, Me every evening as their final book before falling asleep, and mimic the little orang-utan's actions; children who think of Bear and Chook as their friends; parents who find echoes of their own chaotic lives in Shrieking Violet. This is the most rewarding element of my work - knowing my books are a part of people's lives, and being shared together by parents and children.


Question: As a mother, does rhyme come naturally to you?

Emma Quay: I have loved rhyme for as long as can remember, and immersed myself in collections of verse throughout my childhood. I loved the rhythms, the humour, and the satisfaction in finding a perfect but unexpected rhyme at the end of a line. I wrote my own limericks and rhymes to entertain family and friends.

As a parent, I feel I have gained a greater understanding of what children respond to. The time spent sharing contemporary children's culture with my children - TV programmes, films, children's entertainers, children's picture books - has been invaluable. Sharing a funny poem with my daughters is one of life's delights.


Question: You've wanted to be a children's book illustrator for a long time, what attracted you to illustrator?

Emma Quay: I have always had an obsession with drawing, and telling stories through pictures. I remember trying to write stories before I had learned to write. As a very young child I would sit in my bed, drawing rows of pictures. They showed little girls getting into scrapes, and little boys were always the baddies! I had a need to tell my stories (even though those early scribbles were created just for me), and I guess I still do.

I grew up surrounded by books. I love the picture book medium, with all its limitations and its possibilities. Picture books never cease to challenge and fascinate me, and I feel very lucky to spend every day with them.


Interview by Brooke Hunter