Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.

It is the child's understanding that teaches the adults the way of the future. They're still doing it today with modern technology.

Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at the end of every tunnel.

Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.

Admitting failure is quite cleansing, but never - pleasurable.

When children are very young, you read them books that are positive to help them go to sleep. But there comes a moment when they begin to understand the difficulties of the world. They know there are problems and the books they read should reflect that, not gloss over them.