Find your voice and say it loud!

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Publication title: Kapiti News

Written by Alice Pearce, this book is a distinctly Kiwi tale with a big heart. Ruby Loud Mouse hopes to leave you inspired to use your voice

We asked Alice some questions:

What inspired you to write this?

I live out in the Waitākere Ranges and during the Covid lockdown it was VERY quiet around our house. No people, no cars, nothing. I was wandering around the garden one day and thought to myself “gosh, it’s as quiet as a mouse out here”. And then I started thinking — hold on — what if you were a mouse who wasn’t quiet?? What if there was a really loud mouse out there completely mislabeled by that idiom? How tricky, to have everyone expect one thing of you, when you were really something else entirely! And from there Ruby was born.

What do you think the message is in this book for young readers?

Ruby Loud Mouse is all about appreciating each other’s differences, and accepting and celebrating who we are as individuals — some people might be loud, some people might be quiet, but everyone has their own strengths and those are always worth being celebrated.

We love the illustrations in this book, how did you find the illustrator?

I just love them too! The wonderful team at Bateman had asked me to put together a list of illustrators I liked and who I thought might suit the style of Ruby Loud Mouse. Bateman contacted the agent that represented the first illustrator on my list to see if she might be free and able to draw up some samples for us. She was busy, but the agent said “you should check out this other illustrator who’s just signed on with us” and sent us some proofs from Dine. And it was crazy, because as soon as I saw her work — I just knew, it was exactly what I’d been looking for the whole time!

Do you think children are encouraged today to speak up for themselves if so why/why not?

I think we’re much more encouraging of kids today than we have been historically, but I think there’s always further to go! Kids have such wonderful energy and special ideas that often they are just bursting out to share, but...