Wise old man, won't you help me, please? My house is a squash and squeeze.
What can you do if your house is too small? The wise old man knows: bring in a flappy, scratchy, noisy crowd of farmyard animals. When you push them all out again, you'll be amazed at how big your house feels!
Axel says:
My second picture book and the start of my collaboration with Julia Donaldson - we first met after the book had come out. In my sketch book I first drew the little old lady looking old and wrinkly - with a pointy chin and nose. But the editor wanted her to look more round and younger. This was the first of many compromises I made in my career! The story is based on an eastern European folk tale - but the publishers wanted a more universal look. I would still very much like to see how the book would look had I done it 'my way'.
Character development
The old lady looked like this originally