Author Kristin Martin shares her inspiration and love for children’s literature, as well as some of the travels that inspired the adventures in Where Shall We Travel Today. 

What do you love most about writing for children?

I really enjoy using my imagination and writing in rhyme, but what I love the most is reading my picture books aloud to children.

What inspired you to write Where Shall We Travel Today?

I’ve always enjoyed watching my students’ imaginative play. They would pretend to go to the ice cream shop or take their toy animal to the vet. When we first heard of Covid in 2019, and travel became limited, I thought about how children could still pretend to travel through their imagination. That was the inspiration for the book.

What did you love most about this project?

I love Nicky Johnston’s illustrations! While my words tell of the children’s travels around the world, the visual narrative shows the children playing in their neighbourhood. Nicky’s illustrations combine the children’s imagination and their play beautifully.

Was there anything challenging about writing this book?

My main challenge was writing the story in rhyme. I worked on the text for months until the rhyme and rhythm were perfect. Writing in rhyme is my favourite challenge!

As a writer, how do you nurture your imagination?

The two things I need to nurture my imagination are slowing down so I’m not rushing around and constantly thinking of what I need to do next, and spending time in nature.

Have your own travels inspired some of the places in Shall We Travel Today? Can you share any favourite stories?

Some of the places the children pretended to visit were inspired by my travels. I visited Niagara Falls with my childhood friend Monique when we were 21. We took a boat trip on the Maid of the Mist and were drenched by the spray! My husband, David, and I went to the Amazon rainforest and saw monkeys swinging by their tails. David swung on a vine from a huge tree, but I wasn’t brave enough to try. Years later we took our kids snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and saw a huge sea turtle. That was one of my most memorable family experiences.

As a teacher, do you find your students influence your writing?

Definitely. I’ve already said how they inspired this book, but various personality traits and incidents make their way into my characters and stories. Sometimes, I share early versions of my stories with my students. They’ve given me some great feedback.

You’re also a poet. How do you find writing poetry compares to writing picture books? What are the similarities?

The structure of rhyming poems and picture books are quite different, but writing in rhyme with consistent rhythm is the same for both.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

I have a new picture book coming out with MidnightSun Publishing next year, which I’m very excited about. I’ve just finished writing another rhyming picture book too, though I’m yet to show it to anyone.