Fiona Watt: That's not my...

Fiona Watt, author of the much-loved That's Not My... series for babies and toddlers, shares some insights into how the books are created - and why reading with even the youngest children is so important

There have been dozens of books in the That’s Not My... series, which continues to be hugely popular with young children and parents. Tell us how you first came up with the idea for the series.

The That’s not my … series evolved from a discussion with Jenny Tyler, Usborne’s Publishing Director, about puzzle books for very young children. It developed from the concept of ‘It’s not that one, or that one, or that one, but that one!’

What do you think is the secret to its success?

I think Rachel Wells’ brightly coloured, simple illustrations, combined with the touchy-feely patches, and repetitive, rhythmical text really appeal to babies and young children.

Do you think the series has changed over the years?

The backgrounds in the illustrations have become a little more detailed in more recent titles, but essentially they have kept the same look since the first title was published in 1999.

That’s Not My... books are a great way to introduce even the youngest children to books.  Why do you think sharing books with babies is important?

Sharing books plays an important part in developing language awareness, even when a baby or toddler hasn’t yet started speaking. It’s also a great way of having some close time together.

What are your tips for sharing books with babies and small children?

As well as reading the words, talk about other things that are in the pictures, for example ‘Can you spot the white mouse?’ ‘Can you rub the monkey’s fluffy tummy?’ Point to things in the pictures as you talk about them, too.

Apart from the That’s Not My... series, what are your favourite books to share?

Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Play Book illustrated by Stella Baggott is a delightful book with lots to look at, talk about and explore. I’m also a fan of two old favourites - Dear Zoo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Here are some questions about the That's Not My series... from Bookstart parents:

Which title from the series is your favourite, and why?

I’ve had to think very hard about this.  My favourite is probably That’s not my Penguin. I just really love the slightly absurd penguins, wearing hats and scarves. However, it was between a close second is That’s not my Panda which is just about to be published.

Have you always wanted to be an author?

I had no childhood aspirations to be an author. I started writing when I left university and had a job creating educational material for zoos, museums and stately homes! It wasn’t until I started working as an editor at Usborne that I became an ‘author’.

Where do you get all the ideas for your books? The ideas are endless!

At Usborne, we have annual brainstorming meetings where people suggest new That’s not my … titles. However, some ideas just won’t work as the ‘thing’ doesn’t have enough body parts to make touchy-feely . For example, a butterfly has wings, a body, antennae (although this isn’t a ‘baby’ word), but then it become tricky to think of other parts.

Do you ever find yourself out and about thinking in That’s Not My...terms? (Parent Kate explains:  ‘I’ve found myself looking round a carpark going, “That’s not my car, it’s too dirty. That’s not my car, it’s too shiny” etc.’)

I can’t say that I have, although I’m always on the lookout for fabrics and textures that might be suitable for a That's not my...

Is it possible to make a That’s Not My... book that smells?

Technically, it would be possible to create a scratch and sniff That’s not my…, but I’m not sure what subject would be suitable, which adjectives you could use to describe the smells or what the smells would be!

Visit the Bookstart website to enter a competition to win a set of That's Not My... books