Welcome to #TheQuickSixInterview with Dani Vee!
We’re always delighted to have the brilliant, multi-talented author, publicist and podcaster extraordinaire, Dani Vee on the blog, and she is here today to talk about her hilarious junior fiction debut – Riley’s FAILPROOF Guide to Breaking a School Record. Could watching other people’s epic FAILS be any funnier?! ‘From being superglued to the principal’s dog, accidentally swallowing the class pet and being constantly embarrassed by her dad who is intent on saving the world in a kaftan.’ Well, if you’re Riley Noodle, trying to break a school record may just be the most important thing to conquer … but is it? Through the ridiculousness comes valuable life lessons in this fast-paced adventure, gloriously supported with illustrator extraordinaire, Jules Faber‘s smart and witty sketches. Riley’s FAILPROOF Guide to Breaking a School Record could literally be the next one to break a record! It’s so good.
Thanks, Dani! Riley is awesome! 🙂
About the Author
Dani Vee is host of the popular literary podcast Words and Nerds. The podcast has had a million plus downloads.
Dani is author of picture books My EXTRAordinary Mum and the My EPIC Dad! series. She has also had a short story published in the crime anthology Dark Deeds Down Under 2. Riley’s FAILPROOF Guide to Breaking a School Record is her first junior fiction title. My Pet Croc is another junior fiction title coming early 2025.
Please find Dani Vee at her website: Dani Vee’s Universe: Podcasts, Books, and Literary Adventures | Facebook | Instagram | X
About the Illustrator
Jules Faber has illustrated over thirty books, most of them for children. He has worked with all seven of the major publishers in Australia, which has been fun every single time.
Some of the books Jules has created and illustrated include: The Quest Diaries of Max Crack, the WeirDo series with comedian Anh Do (Scholastic), the Kaboom Kid series with cricketer David Warner (Simon & Schuster), some of Doctor Karl‘s books (Pan Macmillan), the Leo Da Vinci series with Michael Pryor (Random House), and the Stinky Street series with Alex Ratt (Pan Macmillan).
Please find Jules Faber at this website: It’s the Updated Website of Jules Faber! | It’s a work in progress, so please bear with me. and on Facebook | X
Riley’s FAILPROOF Guide to Breaking a School Record is available for purchase from Larrikin House and local bookstores.
WHO wrote, illustrated and published this book?
Written by Dani Vee, illustrated by Jules Faber and published by Larrikin House.
WHAT is it about?
Riley Noodle has been obsessed with breaking a school record since kindergarten but time is running out! Her attempts so far, and there have been 99, have failed, will she have better luck this year? Together with her 2 best friends and her weird and wonderful family, will Riley learn that there are more important things in life than breaking a school record?
What is your favourite part of this book?
I really enjoyed writing Henry’s character, he is wild about animals and has what Riley calls Henry-speak. I also loved inventing Riley’s family, especially her dad who is trying to save the world and packs his kid’s lunches according to whatever is about to go off in the fridge.
There is a scene where Riley tries to break a record with helium balloons that was also super fun to write!
WHEN did you begin writing this book?
I started writing Riley in 2022 but it took me a long time to get past the first three chapters because I couldn’t get Riley’s voice right, but once I did, it came together fast.
When is its release / launch date?
September 2024! Come and celebrate the Book Launch on 14 September at Gleebooks in Glebe.
WHERE did the inspiration for this book come from?
I really wanted a female character to be at the centre of chaos. I wanted to show a character who had always been pretty unlucky but had never lost her spirit. I think kids need characters like Riley!
WHY is this book meaningful to you?
Besides the fact that it’s my first jfic, which is very exciting! I loved creating such joyful and silly characters for young readers.
The book also means a lot because I got to collaborate with the extremely talented Jules Faber who is also a good mate and I always wanted to create something with him!
Why would its message resonate with readers?
We’ve all felt like failures, and that our families don’t understand us and we don’t understand them. It’s a story about leaning into who you are and accepting your family and friends for the wonderful weirdos they are!
HOW do you feel about the illustrations / cover design? How do they convey the feeling or mood you envisioned?
It’s Jules Faber!!! He knows how to look inside my head and illustrate the characters I created. He’s easy to work with and just makes changes on the spot. No sweat for a professional like Jules!
How have you promoted this book and how can we find it?
I’ll be heading to schools in Term 3 & 4, there’s a Book Launch on 14 September, and I’ll be heading to book shops in Sydney and Melbourne.
OTHER information or experiences you’d like to share?
Being my first junior fiction title, it was really hard to start, but my dedication is to the NaNoGang who believed in me before I was a published author! Shout out to my lifeline Adrian Beck and my two NaNo pals Tristan Bancks and Cristy Burne. Also, publisher James Layton always pushes me to keep writing even when I feel like giving up. It helps to have people who believe in you!
Loved learning about your writing adventure with Riley! Congratulations, Dani! 🙂
#thequicksixinterview #RileysFAILPROOFGuidetoBreakingASchoolRecord #schoolrecords #family #juniorfiction #justkidslit
