Wizard and Co: An Interview with Mitchell Toy

Wizard & Co

This year, we celebrate the return of our popular Melbourne City Christmas Treasure Hunt! Children’s picture book writer and illustrator Mitchell Toy is back with Wizard & Co and a brand new adventure around Melbourne.

In this interview, we chat to Mitchell about the inspiration behind the new book, creating art during the pandemic and what he is up to next!

Congrats on your fourth book, Wizard & Co. It’s a feast for the eyes! Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the story?

No king or queen has ever felt as grand as a child with a fistful of pocket money entering a big department store. I remember that bubbling excitement when I visited Chadstone or the Bourke Street Mall as a child. Wizard & Co was inspired by that wonderful feeling, intertwined with a message about the joy of giving.

After the wild success of our first treasure hunt with your book The Midnight City, you have designed a new Wizard & Co. themed map for this holiday season. What do you hope kids get from your new adventure?

The treasure hunt is a wonderful chance to get back to the city after a difficult two years. The poky laneways and grand old arcades make a kaleidoscope of things to see. Children might spot some things that inspired the magical Wizard & Co department store, and I hope they will get to know some of the interesting corners of our wonderful city.

This Christmas, in collaboration with Mitchell Toy, Mary Martin Bookshop encourages kids to explore our wonderful city. For more information about our treasure hunt, please click here.

In Wizard & Co. the kids get their hands on some Hocus Pocus pounds to buy something very special. If you were lucky enough to find some magic money, what would you spend it on?

I would probably go straight to the Hopetoun Tea Rooms in the Block Arcade for a lovely cup of tea! As the book suggests, money is no good unless you share the spoils with people you love, so I would surely invite my family and friends. And, well, if I had some Hocus Pocus pounds left over I would buy some books.

All your books have vivid imagery and hidden details. What comes to you first, the story or the images?

Sometimes the story comes first, sometimes the pictures! But both begin as foggy ideas that gain structure and meaning as I put pen to paper, or stylus to screen. The illustrations tend to take the longest, especially with so many little details. I often want to add more, but must remember I can’t spend forever drawing them.

Image: Wizard & Co, Mitchell Toy

This year, you also published another picture book, The Bounty of Bootless Ben. It’s a wonderful tale, full of adventure and heart. Can you tell our readers a bit about that book?

It’s no wonder so many children love dressing up as pirates. After all, pirates are naughty. When they hoist the Jolly Roger, the seas tremble with fear. But every pirate is a child deep down, seeking love and care. The Bounty of Bootless Ben is a story about that. Readers can also have fun searching for the pirate keys on each page.

Finding creative inspiration during lockdown can be a bit tricky, yet you have been very productive. How did you find the process of writing and illustrating during this time, and how do you keep yourself motivated?

Anybody who has used Zoom for an extended period knows how hard it’s been during the past two years. Doing schoolwork remotely or working from home has been a huge challenge and everyone has done so well. I was fortunate to work from home before COVID so it wasn’t a big adjustment. When I’m not drawing for work, I draw for pleasure, so it was relatively easy to keep it going.

Image: The Bounty of Bootless Ben, Mitchell Toy

All four of your books have had such a warm response from many of our readers, both young and not so young. What have been the best responses you’ve received?

That is very kind! I sometimes receive letters and drawings from children who have enjoyed my books and it warms my heart to know I have contributed to their childhood. It is lovely to know my stories will be remembered into their adult years. Just as heartwarming are messages from parents who say the books have helped them through difficult times, such as illness.

What are you up to next?

I’m preparing some ideas for my next book, coming in 2022, and I hope to keep making books for children until I’m very old.

This Christmas, in collaboration with Mitchell Toy, Mary Martin Bookshop encourages kids to explore our wonderful city. For more information about our treasure hunt, please click here.