Back in February, I wrote about Richard Jones’s latest book, Perdu – his first as an author and illustrator! This book about a little dog who really needs a friend melted my heart, so I’m happy to talk about it again for the book’s blog tour. Peachtree Publishers was wonderful and secured me an interview with author Richard Jones, too!
Perdu, by Richard Jones, (Apr. 2021, Peachtree Publishing),
$17.99, ISBN: 9781682632482
Ages 4-8
Poor Perdu finds himself lost and all alone on a dark rainy night, with nothing of his own except for an old red scarf. Hefollows a tumbling leaf through the countryside to the city, from night to day,in hopes of finding a place of his own. But in the busy city, people rush and shoo Perdu away.Will he ever find a comforting place to rest his aching legs or fill his grumbling tummy?
Your most recent book, Perdu, is also your first as an author! Is this the first story you were moved to write?
Richard Jones: Perdu’s story is very dear to me, but it’s not quite the first! The publishing world is a roly-poly business and projects get moved forward and back all the time. There are one or two other tales that came before this one that are waiting patiently for their time! However, Perdu is the first story of mine to be published and I’ll always think of it fondly.
Perdu’s little red scarf becomes such an emotional part of his story. What inspired it?
Richard Jones: Perdu is a dog with a mysterious past and I wanted him to carry a little piece of it with him as he searches for a place to call home. His scarf is his only possession, so when he loses it after a mix up in a café, he feels entirely lost. When the little girl kindly ties it back on, she’s not only returning to him his possession but also giving him back his self-worth and confidence.
You use color to communicate so many things in your books. I loved that the red of Perdu’s scarf matches the little girl’s knit hat. Can you talk about how you decide what colors to use when you’re working?
Richard Jones: I have pages and pages of sketches for the little girl’s coat and hat, I think I counted over 25 variations! In the end, red seemed the perfect color to use as it contrasted well with his night-black coat and made her stand out in the crowded city streets. I try and have a new palette of colors for each book, picked from photos and paintings I’ve spotted during the early stages of a project. I sometimes wonder if I’m not just a little bit color blind!
Was writing and illustrating Perdu more challenging than illustrating other authors’ work?
Richard Jones: I love reading other people’s stories and imagining how I might illustrate them. It’s one of the best parts of the job! However, working on Perdu felt a little more organic than other projects, as the two strands—the pictures and the words—developed together. As the pages evolved over time, they suggested little changes or shifts in the story that required a re-write or two. That’s something I wouldn’t always expect of another author!
Thank you so much!
Visit other stops on the Richard Jones/Perdu blog tour!
Additional resources:
Website with book summary and author bio: https://peachtree-online.com/portfolio-items/perdu/
Author Q&A: https://peachtree-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/QA_JonesR.pdf
Activity Sheets: https://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/Activity_Event/PerduActivitySheets.pdf
Book excerpt: https://peachtree-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PerduExcerpt.pdf
How to Draw Perdu video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeNUtKJtczA
Richard Jones background about the creation of Perdu: https://www.paintedmouse.com/perdu-blog
Mom Read It 