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Cat McGlade

@thequietblackbird

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Children’s book illustrator-writer.
‘Excuse Me, Audrey’ out May 2027
Represented by @childrensbooksnorthagency_

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On my bookshelf: Spooky edition 👻
(ages given are publishers recommendations, I’m not sure I agree with them all)
🦇🎃🕸️
#halloweenbooksforkids #spookychildrensbooks #childrensbookshelf

The Atlas of Monsters by Stuart Hill & Sandra Lawrence - beautiful medieval style illustrated maps featuring creatures of myth and legend from around the world (9+)

Season of the Witch by Matt Ralphs & Núria Tamarit - spellbinding book full of myths and legends about witches throughout history and across the globe with gorgeous illustrations. One of our favourite non-fictions any time of year (9+)

Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht & Jarvis - a gentle rhyming story from patch to Halloween full of glowing, warm, autumnal illustrations (3+)

Leila the Perfect Witch by Flavia Z Drago - I love this book, perfect for perfectionists and over-achievers with illustrations full of texture and Mexican heritage (3+)

Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z Drago - a friendly ghost who just wants to be seen full of very clever and funny illustrations (3+). I just need to buy Vlad the Fabulous Vampire to complete the trio.

Mason Mooney Paranormal Investigator by Seaerra Miller - an action packed mysterious and twisted tale with comic-style illustrations. Nothing says Halloween more than a protagonist who carries his beating heart around in a jar (7+)

The Queen in the Cave by Julia Sardà - the gothic picture book queen (who has 6 books in this list because I love her) gives us this coming-of-age fairytale. Spooky in an Alice in Wonderland kind of way (5+)

The Witch in the Tower by Julia Sardà - the spellbinding sequel filled to the brim with magic and wonder (5+)

Godfather Death by Sally Nichols &Julia Sardà - a reimagined Grimm tale with haunting illustrations (7+)

The Wolf’s Secret by Myriam Dahman, Nicolas Digard & Julia Sardà - a beautifully lyrical contemporary fairytale, possibly my favourite Sardà book of all time (3+)

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey & Julia Sardà - the story of the girl behind one of the greatest horror novels of all time, for lovers of biographies and exploring the process of artistic inspiration (5+)

Leina & the Lord of the Toadstools by Myriam Dahman, by @thequietblackbird

I’m not so good at beginnings.
Part of it is wanting to hold onto the moment before something starts, when it could still become anything.
The other part is that I find task initiation. spectacularly hard.
I wrote about it and how I trick my brain in my last Substack post (link in bio) but here’s the TL;DR.

Start Small
Sometimes the best way to start is to make the beginning smaller.

Body-doubling
Most of the time I don’t need someone to help me. I just need another person to exist nearby while I work.

Walking
The simple act of crossing the midline is like magic for helping the two sides of your brain talk to each other.

Deadlines
… a fake deadline. I do this all the time. The key thing is accountability.

Immersing
It’s very much me approaching my brain sideways so as not to spook it. This is where I pretend I’m not starting.

Working In Public
There’s a strange amount of peer pressure involved in being surrounded by strangers getting on with their own business.

Bribery
Sometimes the solution is simply bribery. I’m not above this…

Read the full post on my substack, Meanwhile Cat, and please subscribe (link in bio). by @thequietblackbird

Happy weekend!
#thequietblackbird #childrensbookillustrator by @thequietblackbird

Me and my big kid are loving reading Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Jessica Townsend @digressica ) together every night. So much so I’ve started a series of b&w illustrations. Here are our protagonists escaping the Hunt of Smoke and Shadow in Octavia.
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#thequietblackbird #nevermoor #nevermoorthetrialsofmorrigancrow #childrensbookillustrator #middlegradefiction by @thequietblackbird

A day in the life of a children’s book illustrator.
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#thequietblackbird #childrensbookillustrator #kidlitillustrator #substackwriter by @thequietblackbird

Just had to get this down on paper. Inspired by my 11 yr old’s bedtime read aloud. Guesses on a postcard (or in the comments). If you’ve read my substack you’ll already know 🤫😉
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#middlegradeillustration #blackandwhiteillustration #childrensbookillustrator by @thequietblackbird

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I forgot to post my cat for the latest @picturehooks comp. They didn’t win, but I they still have a story to tell.
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#thequietblackbird #kidlit #illustratedcats #picturebook #ukillustrator by @thequietblackbird

On my desk today - the beginnings of lots of stories. by @thequietblackbird

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Could there possibly be a more joyful task than writing the dedication for your debut picture book?
Such a privilege.
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#thequietblackbird #excusemeaudrey #debutpicturebook #kidlit #childrensbookillustrator by @thequietblackbird

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Come visit my local independent bookshop.
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#thequietblackbird #indybookshop #independentbookshop by @thequietblackbird

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Inky doodles on the desk today. Cabybara and armadillo will be making an appearance in the next Meanwhile, Cat - hitting inboxes at 4pm today. Sign up in bio if you want to catch it.
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#meanwhilecat #thequietblackbird #substack #capybara #armadillo by @thequietblackbird

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I’ve started writing my newsletter again after a long break. It’s now called Meanwhile, Cat. It’s still about picture books, studio life, and all the interesting things that tend to happen while I’m supposed to be doing something else. If you fancy a read, it’s in my bio.
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#thequietblackbird #meanwhilecat by @thequietblackbird