Eva B. Kids, Children's Literature Author

Welcome children’s literature author Eva B. Kids. From Bohemian Paradise, a beautiful countryside near Prague, Czech Republic, Eva resides with her wonderful husband, adventure loving son and an eccentric dog. Her children’s books are full of adventure, humor and mystery; Little Green Forest is where all the action begins with Alexander Pig, Sally Sheep, Pim Hedgehog, Mycroft Zebra, and much more…

Your characters sound intriguing and whimsical! Sally Sheep, Pim Hedgehog… How do you come up with character traits and story ideas?

Good, strong characters are the most important thing. There are 3 main characters in my books: Mycroft Zebra, who always knows the answer. Everything has a logical explanation for Mycroft. He loves drinking tea and is a true English Gentleman. Alexander Pig is the ‘star’. He is funny and always up to mischief. You can never get bored around Alexander. He is seriously wealthy and loves expensive restaurants and good food, especially lobsters. Pim Hedgehog is the really devoted friend of Mycroft and Alexander. He is a bit feebleminded and often gets s-s-scared, but when his friends are in danger he forgets his own fear. Pim is quite poor and lives in a modest little house. He likes eating porridge and apples.

Once I had my characters, it was easy to start writing. They came alive in my mind and (most importantly) help me to write the actual story.

The storylines are inspired by my 6-year old son, Petr. I make notes by hand with plenty of doodles. Once I am sure the story will work, I sit on my sofa and start writing.

Who is your favorite character from your book series?  

I think that everybody will love Alexander Pig. He’s very good at poetry too (usually composing poems about his own greatness). Here’s one:

Clever Alexander Pig lured Wolf to a deep ditch,

Which Wolf actually thought was a football pitch.

Wolf fell down and broke his crown,

While all the time he was tumbling down.

Straight into that cunning ditch,

The one he thought was a football pitch.

Alexander’s clever, Alexander’s smart,

Alexander has a very kind heart.

So Alexander let the poor Wolf go

And he ran home clutching his painful toe!

You see? Pig is the best! Oink.

Your books are beautifully illustrated.Who is your illustrator?

My books are illustrated throughout. My illustrator is Sára Syslová who was actually a student of my husband. He teaches at the local grammar school and recommended Sára because he knew that she paints beautifully. Sára finished grammar school this year and is going to study art at university.

What age range would enjoy your books?

I think any age can enjoy my books but they are aimed at children between 3-9.

What are you currently writing?

I am now working on the third book, Alexander Pig and the Dark Phantom. You will get to meet the Dark Phantom in this book, if you dare…

Who is your favorite author?  

I have 2 favourite types of books. The first is the type I read with Petr—children’s books. The second is literature for adults. I like both.

With respect to adult literature, I love the book called The Egyptian by Mika Waltari. It is my absolute favourite! I read it in both Czech and English. Unfortunately, I can’t speak Finnish and therefore cannot read the original. I also like Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and all of Jane Austen’s books. But, my favourite is The Egyptian.

Regarding children’s literature, my number one is  A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. I also love Ronald Dahl’s BFG, Matylda and Fantastic Mr Fox and Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Jeremy Strong’s books are very funny, such as My Brother’s Famous Bottom Gets Pinched! I also like Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child, and the list goes on…

What is your writing routine?

Sitting on my sofa, drinking tea with milk, and being at home alone.

List a few things that your fans may not know about you…

I am a Czech living in the Czech Republic, in a nature reserve called Bohemian Paradise. I used to work as a college English teacher but got burned out and started writing, which I love.

Connect with Eva…

Amazon author’s page
Twitter @EvaBKids

Little Green Forest (c) All Illustrations copyright to Sára Syslová.