Jez Smith is a zookeeper, animal trainer, conservationist and storyteller. He has worked in zoos for nearly three decades, dedicating his life to building a better future for wildlife. He believes that storytelling is a powerful tool for teaching and connecting people with nature. “When people feel connected, they care and when they care enough, they take action. Stories can change the world!”
Jez currently works at the world-renown Auckland Zoo, where he can be seen flying birds, enthralling audiences and telling stories that matter.
Tell us a little about Pu and Ru’s Bird Beak Clues.
'Pu and Ru's Bird Beak Clues' invites the reader to join the two title characters on a journey of discovery exploring the wonderful and varied bird life of Aotearoa, New Zealand. It is a blend of fact-finding with an element of eye-spy and guess-who, a sprinkle of humour and a hint of buddies on a road trip all wrapped up in lyrical rhyming verse. Or more simply put, it's a fun way to learn about birds.
What inspired you to write this book?
As a zoo keeper, a big part of my day job is to connect people with nature and inspire them to take action by telling the stories that really matter. Writing a book is really just an extension of my love for storytelling. As for the choice of subject matter, they say “write about what you know”: having worked with birds for much of my career, it was a bit of a no brainer for me.
What research was involved?
I already had a good knowledge of birds before starting, so I didn't have to do too much research about the subject material itself, although I still did a lot of fact-checking just to be sure. However, I did spend a bit of time checking that my rhyming verses did, in fact, rhyme. I grew up in the North of England before emigrating to New Zealand, and I still have quite a strong accent. It seems that there are word pairings that rhyme perfectly well when spoken with a Yorkshire accent that is nowhere close to rhyming to the rest of the world. For example, muck and book – see what I mean! I occasionally resort to using online rhyme sites to clarify that my rhyming pairs work, and I always get someone else to do a read-through when I've finished.
What was your routine or process when writing this book? How did you work with the illustrator Ned Barraud?
When I'm writing, I tend to never really switch off from it. I will be running verses through my head when I'm cooking or stringing sentences together as I shower. However, some of my best writing happens as I ride my motorbike. Once I pull my helmet on, I'm pretty much isolated from other distractions: no talking, no radio, no phone. It's a great time to think. Then, when I get to the end of my journey, I keep a notepad with me to scribble down any thoughts I've had.
Once my manuscript had been selected for publication, I was paired up with Ned through my publishing team. For me, this was just a perfect match-up. Ned is brilliant at what he does. His illustrations are beautiful, and he simply 'got' my manuscript. He brought the story to life exactly as I had imagined it, but just way better. I think it helps that we share similar values, both with a passion for the natural world and a desire to connect people with nature.
What did you enjoy the most about writing this children’s book?
I've loved everything about writing this book: sharing my love of birds with the reader, the triumphs of completing each rhyming verse, creating the characters of Pu and Ru and developing the factual, puzzle-style story concept. However, being selected for publication was the icing on the cake. As my debut publication, this really is quite special for me. When I received that email that told me my manuscript had been selected...Wow!
What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?
The first thing I did when I finished the book was to get people to read it. Even though my family had probably heard each verse a hundred times already, I got them all to do yet one more read through. Knowing they like it is the most important thing to me. Then I got more people to read it. After all, that's what stories are for. After that, I took a little break from writing. It was nice to just ride my motorbike and enjoy the ride!
What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?
As a newbie to writing children's books, I often gravitate towards the children's book section in libraries and stores to check out what sort of things are currently hot on the market. After being paired with Ned Barraud as my illustrator, more often than not, I've found myself with one of his books in hand. I've loved them all, but the one that has really stuck in my mind is “Tohora: the Southern Right Whale”. As you would expect, the illustrations are beautiful, but I also love that it doesn't shy away from talking about whaling yet finishes with a resounding note of optimism.
I am also part way through reading “Ten Birds that Changed the World” by Stephen Moss which is a fascinating look at birds from a different perspective.
What’s next on the agenda for you?
As 'Pu and Ru's Bird Beak Clues' is my debut publication, I really don't know what to expect next. Right now I am just enjoying the process and taking each step as it comes. Looking forward, I hope that this will open up new opportunities for me and allow me to continue seeing my work in print. I am currently finishing off a sequel to Pu and Ru, which carries a strong conservation message. My dream is that, in some small way, my writing will not only be enjoyable to read, but also make a real difference.
Scholastic NZ
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