Kaye Baillie shares the inspiration behind The Welcome Cookies, the insights motherhood can bring, and an important message on the importance of accepting change.

What do you love about writing children's books?

Creating a book that includes wonderful art! And of course the opportunity to create something that I hope will enrich the lives of children. Through the creative process I make discoveries about my characters and how children might relate to them; I play with words until I feel their strength in both meaning and style and ask myself how a child will react to the language; I try to make the read aloud experience as enjoyable as possible; I imagine how the illustrator might see the story; I try to create a satisfying ending that leaves the reader feeling a little bit changed or motivated or aware.

What inspired you to write The Welcome Cookies?

The first spark for the story came from me wanting to write a story set in a city and using a café as the main scene. There is something universal about enjoying cafes and the promise of a nice beverage and food, connecting to people both friends and strangers, and feeling part of something.

Did any personal experiences contribute to the writing of this story?

When my two daughters were preschool age, going to a café together was a delightful way to get out of the house, enjoy friendly atmospheres, be amongst people in a relaxing way and share the yumminess of café food. Whilst we didn’t experience a favourite café closing, I began to imagine how people would feel if that did happen. And how a change of ownership might be disappointing for regular customers and a challenge for the new owner who must make new connections with customers.

What did you find surprising or challenging about writing this book?

The most surprising thing was (and this happens often when writing any story) how I begin to associate with my characters as if they are real. It’s a magical process! And the most challenging thing was trying to make sure that Mabel didn’t sound rude when she tells Lionel that her painting wasn’t meant for him. I wanted to show her surprise at seeing her painting and how this would feed into her reaction to the new owner, without her sounding too harsh but being able to reflect her honesty.

How did the writing process for this compare to your previous books?

The process for writing The Welcome Cookies was like my process for writing Boo Loves Books. Both stories have a similar theme of a young girl being afraid, disappointed, and discovering that if they pushed themselves to overcome something – that they could do it. So for these stories I tuned into my memories of times when either my daughters or me faced this type of challenge and how it was overcome. Both books also follow a traditional narrative of a main character having a problem, how they face it and what they do to overcome it. Some of my books such as When the Waterhole Dries Up followed a different writing process to The Welcome Cookies. The Waterhole story is chaotic fun and focuses on native animals in a cumulative story style, featuring vibrant verbs and language, and the thrill of prediction for the young reader. The Waterhole story follows a set structure like ‘The House that Jack Built’ which made it easier to write.

You’ve written both fiction and nonfiction books. How do the two genres compare and how does your writing process vary between each?

Non-fiction requires lots of research. For The Friendly Games set during the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, I visited the building in Bourke Street Melbourne where John Wing, the main character, lived and where the story takes place. I searched the internet for news articles and anything I could find about John. I bought a CD from the National Library in Canberra which had a recorded interview with John so I could hear him speaking. I contacted the Australian Institute of Sport. I contacted swimming legend, Dawn Fraser because she was present at the 1956 Olympics. I contacted a journalist who had once interviewed John. I also tried to locate John but was unsuccessful. This all takes a lot of time. Once my research was done, I had to decide which parts would make it into the story and which to leave out. This is a difficult process for non-fiction writers because they usually want to include as much of their research as they can but instead must only use what is needed to tell the story. And because the story is non-fiction, I could not make anything up. 

With fiction, there is a freedom to say whatever you want, and you can change your story in any way you choose. You can make up characters, dialogue, and settings. You can write about monsters, pirates, or people. There is usually a small amount of research to be done for a fictional story too, such as in When The Waterhole Dries Up I researched which native animals would live in the dry outback and which ones were diurnal.

Adapting to change can be difficult for young people. What was it like to write about this topic?

As a parent I have seen many instances of my daughters facing change, such as changing school or leaving where we live. I also remember facing change as a child myself. Such as leaving primary school to start high school. Or catching the bus with the big kids and how that felt. So when I reflect on these things it gives me an insight into how my characters might feel and react. I want young people to be able to relate to the characters and their circumstances, then reflect on the story as a tool for dealing with their own lives.

What do you hope readers take away from The Welcome Cookies?

To understand that it’s normal to face change and that it’s normal to reject change. But while it’s important to reflect on happy memories, remember there are always new memories to make and new people to meet and that can be a wonderful thing.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

My picture book Cockatoo came out at the same time as The Welcome Cookies and so I’m enjoying promoting that book too. It’s a nature story with lots of lovely language, some tense moments about growing up, and a gorgeous cockatoo family. As for future books, I have several that are out looking for their new publishing home. Fingers crossed!