One beautiful spring day several years ago I was stuck underground, waiting for a subway train. I noticed a tiny, soot-covered mouse darting back and forth over the train tracks, searching through bits of litter for something to eat. Watching him, I felt sad that he was living in such a stale, noisy, dirty place, with such an unpleasant diet. Did he even know there was a world outside? Kapow! I had the idea for The Subway Mouse.

All the pictures in my books are made from Plasticine, a type of modelling clay. For The Subway Mouse I added other materials to bring the underground world to life. There are real candy wrappers (yes, I ate the candy!), feathers and dried flowers. There are shreds of a Toronto map that show some of the places Nib may have passed on his journey. The mouse whiskers are snipped from a paintbrush. Can you tell which things are real and which are made from Plasticine?

Each of my finished pictures are specially lit and photographed by my husband, photographer Ian Crysler, so that they can be reproduced in books. Usually, I am very careful to make sure there is no dust or dirt on any of the artwork before the picture is snapped. With The Subway Mouse, I carefully ADDED dirt, by brushing graphite pencil shavings on to each picture for a properly gritty look.

I still love looking for mice in the subway, but I like to think at least one of them will follow in Nib's footsteps to a happy ending. Maybe the next time you are waiting for something, there will be a story idea waiting for you!

Cheers,

Barb


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