Mish has spent most of her life involved in music making, sometimes with a violin in her hands, in a classroom, leading children’s choirs.  She became drawn to story-telling when she was asked to lead holiday clubs for young singers using music theater. She couldn’t find any children’s musicals that she felt would engage her seasoned group of singers- so created her own- and found children lose themselves in narrative.  She also discovered that you can address quite challenging subject matter, children do understand in their own way, even when it is clouded in metaphor. They ignore anything they would rather not deal with, however they do ask searching questions, and discuss the issues long after the event.

Mish has always drawn for pleasure, images on holiday, buildings and people from different cultures, landscapes, family members and animals, or general scenes from everyday life.  Over the years she has amassed an ever expanding library of children’s books, in umpteen languages. She feels children’s books speak to the society or era the writer/artist lived in, they communicate as myths do. Children’s books reflect who we are, who we aspire to be.

Instagram: @mishmackelly

Email: mishkelly62@gmail.com