She lives in north London and is married to John Burningham, another eminent illustrator. They have three children. Did you think you had a chance of winning the Kate Greenaway award? I thought people would say "Oh no, not another Alice", so I was genuinely surprised and delighted to win the Kate Greenaway. Did you initially feel at all daunted by the idea of approaching such a classic children's text as Alice in Wonderland and moreover one with such classic illustrations as those of John Tenniel? I found it extremely daunting and nearly gave up quite a few times. Why did you choose to illustrate this book? I had embarked on preliminary drawings for an animated film of Alice, for a television company. This fell through, but the amount of material and research I had assembled was quite substantial, plus my publisher's enthusiasm for the idea, encouraged me to attempt making it into a book instead. What do you see as the main differences between your depictions of Lewis Carroll's characters and those of Tenniel? I have always found Tenniel's illustrations, although brilliant, a little stiff and foreboding. I tried to make my illustrations more flexible without losing the wonderful madness of the characters or the scary situations. I also enjoyed making more of the peripheral characters that Tenniel neglected. Some of them are hilarious and add so much to the action. Was there an overall feel or adaptation that you were aiming for? I tried to make my Alice more approachable with the hope that children today would give the book a try. It is after all a wonderful adventure. You modelled the new Alice on Madeleine Salvage, a 10-year-old girl that you saw playing in a stream at a wedding. What was it about her that sparked your imagination? I wanted my child, Alice, to be fearless and free. To stand up to silly, muddled adults and not to suffer fools gladly. I tried to convey this with her appearance and body language. Madeleine Salvage seemed to sum up exactly this sort of confident, self- sufficient little girl that I was searching for. The Alice you have given us seems wonderfully spontaneous, happy and carefree. Is this how you perceive the modern child to be? Through no fault of their own children now seem to miss out on the long slow learning process of childhood. They are unable to grow at their own pace and have no time for childish games and fantasies. They are hurled into the neurotic adult world at a very young age and are expected to cope without any foundations for life. It has been pointed out that there is more than a slight resemblance between the Queen of Hearts and our own Queen Elizabeth II. Was this intentional? Tenniel's Queen of Hearts was, I believe, Queen Victoria. I thought as we also have a queen, I would carry on the tradition. I love the combination of black and white line drawings and watercolour. Why did you choose to illustrate the book like this? I think watercolour is very English. It has a subtlety and a softness that brings to mind the colours of the English countryside. I thought it would be the most appropriate medium to use for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. If you had to name one illustrator as an inspiration for your own work, who would it be? I am inspired by illustrators who can draw, a skill that has sadly gone out of fashion. The late cartoonist Giles, for example, may appear to dash off his work with quick lines and a splash of colour, but there is a fundamental grasp and knowledge of drawing that shines through. It is a mistake, championed by some art schools today, that this process of learning to draw can be ignored and that concept is all. One almost gets the impression that drawing is a rather sissy thing to do. Do you prefer to work with a writer or to produce both text and images yourself? It is very satisfying to have written and illustrated one's own story, but it is also fascinating to interpret the work of an author and to see how much can be added visually to the text. When selecting a book to illustrate, are there any particular qualities that you look for in the text? I reject any kind of "now I am writing for children" feeling. I reject any text that fails to make me want to know how it ends. I reject any text that is plain boring. What are your favourite books? Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen by Russel Hoban, The Stories of Rupert Bear by Alfred Bestall and The Cat in the Hat and others by Dr Seuss. Who is your all time favourite character in children's literature and why? Rupert Bear because he reminds me of my sons and I think we would have got on well. What is your favourite medium? Watercolour, or any medium that suits. Where and how do you like to work? I work on my own in my studio with the radio and kettle close at hand. What do you do to relax? Play tennis (although this can get me as stressed and frustrated as my drawing can!). Is there any one book that you would really like to illustrate in the future? I would like to illustrate a brilliant text that I have written. Do you have any other unfulfilled ambitions? To play on Centre Court in the finals at Wimbledon. Finally, do you have any advice for budding young illustrators? Don't think that because you are trying to write or illustrate for children it must therefore be easier than for adults. That is not how it is. Learning to draw is learning to look and understand. Children recognise and deserve the best.