If I Were A Wizard

So many wizard stories are about spectacle: duels, spells, saving the world. I wanted to write something quieter for young readers: a story where magic is measured in kindness rather than fireworks.

The challenge was to make everyday care, like checking the mail or sharing an umbrella, feel every bit as wondrous as any spell.

Hazel is a little mouse who imagines all the good he'd do if he were a wizard, not to show off, but to look after the people he loves. Each page begins, "If I were a wizard…" and turns a small act of love into something magical.

I wrote with the page-turn in mind, pacing each spread so the rhythm reads aloud beautifully. Illustrator Simon Howe brought Hazel to life with warmth and gentle humour. His expressive, painterly art gives the world its heart.

If I Were A Wizard reached #1 on the Apple Books children's chart, sitting above the entire Harry Potter series, with a ★★★★★ reader rating. More than a chart position, it became a bedtime favourite families return to again and again.

Watching children connect with Hazel taught me that stories don't need to be loud to be powerful. A little mouse with a kind heart outsold the wizards, and that's a kind of magic I'm proud to have made.