As the spring sunshine begins to beam down from behind the wintry clouds we are thrilled to announce our first picture book of 2026:
When things get noisy, do you ever long for quiet time to let your imagination flow? Solo feels like that. She’s very different from her loud and confident new friend, Jessie. She can’t always join him in the busy, whizzy crowd. But if he meets her in her peaceful place, perhaps an introvert and an extrovert can be friends.
Neil took part in an exclusive interview for us, so grab a cup of tea and get ready to meet the extraordinary talent that is Neil Clark!
With HUGE thanks and congratulations to Neil. You can find out more about his work over on Instagram @neilclarkillustration, where he shares, industry insights, work in progress, new publication news and more.
SOLO publishes on the 12th March in Hardback (ISBN 978-1-915395-35-1)
You can grab a copy of SOLO via our website, or at your nearest bookshop. If you have little ones at home we have also created some lovely SOLO activity sheets to enhance your story sharing experience, these can be found on the FUN page by clicking HERE.
Don’t forget to check out our brand new catalogue, see you soon for more exciting picture book news!
Meet Neil Clark!
Tell us about how the idea for Solo first came about?
The basic idea for this book had been bubbling away in my mind for years. I was really keen to create something that celebrated being an introvert and had sketchbook notes dotted all over the place. But I didn’t know what Solo would look like.
One day in 2023 I was in a meeting, and I should have been paying attention, but I was doodling away and this little character with a triangle hood cropped up, and I thought – that’s Solo! I developed things further with my amazing agent, Hannah (Plum Agency) and was soon chatting to publishers. I knew straight away that Rocket Bird was the perfect home for Solo.
Which characters from the children in SOLO do you most relate to?
Well, it has to be Solo. I was a happy, sociable little kid but I also really enjoyed my own company. I spent a lot of time cheerfully playing inside my own head – and I still do! I love big group activities and events these days, but I’ve also learned when I need to say no and stay in with a book.
Did you have a favourite game or toy as a child?
I had a cuddly dog called Digger that my Mum made. I used to pretend I’d lost it – it was basically me re-enacting Dogger by Shirley Hughes. After that came the Star Wars figures and then skateboards.
Tell us a bit about your workspace?
I work from home. As I type this, I can hear my 2-year-old daughter playing. Lovely, yes, but also incredibly distracting! I’m lucky to have an office studio space that I share with my wife Dalia (she’s a super talented designer). My desk it surrounded by picture books, prints and vintage toys.
Which books do you like sharing with your family?
I’m so lucky to have kids aged 2 and 6 – so there’s a real good mix of board books, picture books and chapter books at the moment. I love sharing old favourites like Two Can Toucan by David McKee. It’s just stunning! I’m also obsessed with a series called Mr Bear by Chizuko Kuratomi and illustrated by Kozo Kakimoto. Bedtime favs right now are Bat Can’t Sleep by Carly Gledhill, Tomato Ketchup by Paul Dowling and my eldest is loving the Bear and Bird series by Jarvis!
Is there an author who you would love to collaborate with?
Ooh. I have no idea! My author friend Claire Powell springs to mind, simply because she’s got such a wonderful way with words. Micheal Rosen would be an obvious one. But I’m going to go off-piste here and say poetry maestro John Cooper Clarke. Imagine that: a Clarke/Clark collaboration! While we’re at it . . . Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals fame). He’s one of my favourite song writers and his words would be a dream to illustrate.
Do you have time to sketch for pleasure? What are your favourite things to doodle?
I have very little free time these days, but I squeeze in lots of doodling when possible. I think robots are my favourite right now.
If you could illustrate a book based on a 1980’s children’s TV program, which would you choose?
Great question! I have lots of favourites, but I’d have to go with Trapdoor. That would be so enjoyable to draw. Spooky, colourful and incredibly silly. I’d risograph print the whole thing too – dream project!
Do you have a piece of advice to newly graduated illustration students?
This is a strange one for me, because I never set out to be a picture book maker. So I’d say keep your options open and cast your net wide. Be open to all kinds of creativity. Take on opportunities with a positive mindset. Be nice! It really does make a huge difference when you get on with people – they’ll want to work with you and they’ll recommend you to others. And draw, with real pencils and pens, as much as possible!
What’s on your TBR pile?
I’ve just got the Picture Book Makers: Part 2 book by Sam McCullen and so I’m waiting for a long quiet evening to dive into that. I’m not a huge reader of novels, but I am a Gabriel Garcia Marquez fan. I haven’t read Love In The Time of Cholera yet… so I should probably get on with it!