New babies can bring all sorts of new changes to a household: new schedules, new routines, new sounds and smells (not all of them pleasant). Needless to say, this transition period can be tough on everyone, but it can be especially challenging for an older sibling who must not only adjust their whole life, but also share the time and attention of caregivers for the first time.
In Sharon Davey’s new picture book, Proud Dog, readers experience this household adjustment through the eyes of a rather unique, polka-dotted protagonist. We recently had the chance to chat with Sharon about Proud Dog, the importance of queer family representation, and how to find joy in life’s messy moments.
Welcome to The Baby Bookworm, Sharon! For those unfamiliar with Proud Dog, would you introduce Dorothy and what’s going on in her life at the beginning of the book?
SD: Dorothy is a very confident dog. She has been coaching her dog dads to be the perfect parents for a while. Just as she has gotten them well trained in bubble baths and sofa snuggles, along comes a baby to interrupt her hard work. She is immediately put out! Like any big sibling would be.
New baby books can be extremely helpful as children transition from being an only and/or youngest child to a big sibling. Was this a situation you had personal experience with before starting this book?
SD: All kids like to push against change, certainly anything as overwhelming as a new family dynamic, and my kids were no different. My daughter would often ask me when her brother was “going back.” She took her time to feel settled, but he was too adorable to resist.
What made you decide to approach the theme from a pup’s point of view?
SD: This is quite embarrassing, but my next-door neighbour’s dog needs company sometimes, and I go round with stories I’m working on and read to her. I imagine her thoughts on each story. She is a tough critic! I started thinking of other animals’ perspectives after that. My cat is particularly sassy in the mornings!
Dorothy’s breakthrough moment with the baby is caused by an accidental splatter of paint that results in a much-needed giggle. Would you say that this is an important lesson, finding joy in the mess?
SD: Finding little joys in life is something I live by. Positivity goes a long way, and a good laugh usually helps diffuse tense situations. My desk is messy, and in high-stress times, you will often find me working in between precarious piles of highly important stuff.
I love a bit of chaos. You never know if that scrap of paper or smear of ink will be the answer that moves the story forward.
While Dorothy and the baby are part of an LGBTQIA+ family, the story is a universal one. Why do you think it’s so important for queerness to have representation in children’s literature outside of books that deal with specifically queer themes?
SD: Queer people are people. Everything that happens in a family also happens in a queer family, and that deserves representation. Being a loving parent gives you a ticket on the rollercoaster ride that is child-rearing. It’s wild and scary and has some delightful surprises. And just when you feel like you are steady again, another twist will be ’round the corner.
When creating a book like Proud Dog, which comes first: the story or the artwork?
SD: Interestingly, on this occasion, it was the text. I was lucky enough to march in a pride parade a few years ago. It was so powerful to see all the families celebrating pride. With their babies snuggled close and sometimes their pups kitted out in rainbows trotting nearby. I’m often led by sketches first, but this time Dorothy’s story was so clear. And her voice was howling at me to be written down.
Before working as an illustrator, you spent many years in costume and set design. Does your experience in those fields ever make its way to the page when you are illustrating?
SD: All the time. In theatre making, you are trying to convey emotion with the simplest decisions. An umbrella becomes a storm; a suitcase becomes a journey. It’s similar for picture books; you want to create spaces that lead the reader through the story by choosing the details carefully. Also, using colour and light to develop the emotion that you are trying to convey.
Some things do differ; in Proud Dog, I was observing Dorothy’s viewpoint from a childlike perspective. Drawing from below and the dads’ legs rather than the full body. Which you can’t really do in theatre, it must be viewed as a whole. Illustration has the freedom of close-ups but the limitations of only 32 pages to tell the story.
On your website, you mention having a rather unique hobby involving plastic dinosaurs. Can you tell us a little about your collection?
SD: This has evolved to problematic levels! We have just had Christmas here, and my tree was covered in dinosaur baubles, which I have made from my collection.
I have a set of Triceratops called Fee, Fi, Foe, and Fum sat in height order on my desk, smiling at me. Mary Queen of Scots is the diplodocus I pat goodbye at the front door. And there are more littering every surface. It’s out of control, I love it!
I always love to ask children’s authors and illustrators about the books that captured their imagination when they were young readers themselves. What were your favorite books or series as a kid?
SD: I loved Shirley Hughes. She captured life in such a real way. The kids in her books all had messy beds and large soft toy collections.
I’m a big fan of Quentin Blake, his illustrations and stories too. Cockatoos is a brilliant book. With the words and pictures offering a different experience to reading and non-reading children. He’s a genius at picking the moment to draw that has the biggest impact.
Lastly, in honor of Proud Dog, what is your favorite way to spend quality time with family?
SD: Even now that they are older and leggy, we do still enjoy a dance around the kitchen. Clattering pots and pretending to be tango dancers.
When they were small, and I was just starting out in illustration, I used to cover the table with paper, and we would draw and write poems whilst we ate. That’s a core memory for us now. Sharing creativity is the backbone of what I do, making books and in school visits.
About Sharon Davey
Sharon Davey is a children’s author and illustrator with a lively style and enthusiastic spirit. She worked as a set and costume designer for 15 years before moving on to illustration.
Sharon has enjoyed working for a variety of publishers, including Bloomsbury, Farshore, Puffin, and now Penguin Workshop US. In recent years, Sharon has incorporated monoprint into her work, experimenting for a full year with colour and texture. You can see the beginning of her enthusiastic explorations in the backgrounds of Proud Dog.
If she is not at her desk working, she will be busy connecting with her LGBTQ+ and creative community. Sharon is particularly proud of her plastic dinosaur collection and her rainbow family.
An enormous thank you to Sharon for taking the time to talk about her work with us. Be sure to check out her website at SharonDaveyIllustration.com, and be sure to pick up a copy of Proud Dog, on bookshelves now!
The Baby Bookworm 