Catching up with Alexa Tewkesbury

Alexa Tewkesbury chats with us for #WorldAnimalDay about children’s books, her love of animals, and the things we can do to protect them.


1. Why is it important to you to include animals and pets in your books?

Animals have always been a big part of my life. When we were very young, my brother and I had two Albino rabbits, called Nibbles and Vanilla. Then there were more rabbits and when I was older, I kept hamsters. As an adult, I began to rescue dogs. I’ve had three now and have loved each one to bits. My own children also had rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. And we’re fortunate enough to have a garden full of wild birds. So I can’t imagine living without animals in close proximity. I suppose that’s why I love to feature them in my stories. They complete my world and, for me, add a sense of completeness to the worlds of my books. I think it’s great to be able to show young readers, who perhaps don’t have a particular connection with animals, how pets can be part of the family; how they have their own distinct personalities and need love, care and attention just like we do.

I’ve retold three Bible stories for SPCK – Noah and his Ark, Daniel in the Lions’ Den and Jonah and the Whale – which are obviously very animal-centred. The illustrations by Dani Padron are fabulous and give young children just a glimpse of the huge variety of animal life there is on the planet – big, tiny, cuddly, scary, creepy-crawly, slithery-slimy, noisy, quiet, fluffy, feathery – you name it, I’m pretty sure animal life has it! I wrote a Christmas book some time ago that featured a Galapagos tortoise (they’re huge) and a Pygmy shrew (pretty small) – talk about two ends of the spectrum!

2. What were your favourite animals when you were little?

I think probably rabbits, because those were the animals we had. I must have liked dogs back then as well, as I remember often walking along the street with my right arm stretched out as though I was holding a lead (I was a weird child – I used to walk on my toes to pretend I was wearing high heels too…). And horses – although I am a bit afraid of them. Actually, a lot afraid of them. I had riding lessons when I was quite young and fell off once when my pony stumbled. I was also chased on a caravan holiday by a foal in the New Forest! But my favourite TV programme in the 1970s was Follyfoot – anyone remember it? It was set in Yorkshire and was about a rescue centre/rest home for horses. More than anything in the world, I wanted to be Dora, who was the central character, and live at Follyfoot Farm with Slugger and Steve (perhaps especially Steve!!). So, back then, I was never ready to admit to having a fear of horses!

3. Which animal stories have resonated with your children?

My son, who’s autistic, absolutely loved Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl. Something about it just captivated him. As a result, over the years he has now accumulated many fox-themed accessories – mugs, coasters, postcards, toys, even a fox hot water bottle cover. And if we happen to spot a fox at dusk or early in the morning when we’re out in the car, it’s a cause of great excitement. My daughter devoured the Animal Ark series of books by Lucy Daniels – Hamster in the Holly, Puppies in the Pantry, Shetland in the Shed to name but a few, and her cuddly animal collection definitely grew much bigger as she made her way through these. She also enjoyed The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, as did I. But I must admit, all three of us steer away from sad animal stories. We just can’t take the heartbreak. I read Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson when I was growing up – scarred me for life!

4. If you could pick an animal to write a new story about, which animal would you choose?

I don’t know – there are so many! I did love writing about the Galapagos tortoise I mentioned earlier. So, I think perhaps I’d like to write about a tortoise again. What about an unlikely friendship between a tortoise, a donkey, a hedgehog and a snail? Perhaps they could form a detective agency. I rather like that idea… or do hedgehogs eat snails…?

5. World Animal Day is about protecting animal welfare. What can children do to help keep animals safe?

I think it’s incredibly important that children learn to respect all animal life, whether in the wild or domesticated. Animals are living, breathing, feeling beings. If you take on an animal as a pet, even as a child you need to understand that you’re taking on a responsibility. Yes, you suddenly have a new friend to chat to, to hang out with, to cuddle – but that friend is totally dependent on you for its welfare. It’s vital to find out as much as you can about it so that you can look after it and give it what it needs.

And if you make the commitment, then you need to see it through. The phrase ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ may be a bit of a cliché these days, but it holds so very true, and not just for dogs. Caring for an animal is for the life of the animal. And what you receive back from that relationship is simply gold.

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