It’s a huge pleasure to welcome author Chrissie Sains to Scope for Imagination with a brilliant guest post introducing one of the fantastic characters in her new series, Beastopia!
Hi, I’m Chrissie Sains, author of Beastopia, my brand new series for ages 7+.
I’m absolutely kid-in-a-candy-store, bouncing-off-the-walls, tickled-pink, excited about this series! I’ve always had a slightly beastly fascination with magical creatures. As far as I’m concerned, the odder, the scarier, the weirder, the better.
One of the most roar-some parts of being an author is asking the big “What Ifs.” And the big “What If” behind Beastopia was this… what if we’ve got it all wrong? What if magical creatures aren’t at all like the old stories said? What if they’ve been living right under our noses the whole time … and we never even noticed?
Then I started thinking … what happens to the creatures who can’t hide anymore? Where would they go, and who would look after them?
That’s when Beastopia really started to take shape. A sanctuary for magical creatures who can’t blend into the real world. A place where a boy could meet them … and might even have to learn how to protect them.
So … let me introduce you to some of the slightly unusual (but also fang-tastic) magical creatures who live in Beastopia.
Moosh – Can you see this one on the cover of Beastopia?
Watch out for it in Beastopia: The Ice Phoenix
The Moosh are gentle, fungi-like creatures who live in damp, shadowy woodlands. They can change colour and blend perfectly into the forest floor, making them almost invisible to humans.
Though shy, Moosh are devoted protectors of trees. Moosh can release clouds of spores to gently encourage trespassers away, always safeguarding their territory without causing harm.
Moosh are wise and observant. They move slowly and deliberately, tending to the woodland and keeping it safe for all who live there. They love bright colours and when they’re sure its safe, they’ll compete for who can create the brightest display.
Moosh Inspiration
I love wandering through my local woods and imagining how magical the real world could be. I’m fascinated by fungi and the way it secretly communicates all around us. That’s why I wanted to create a brand-new magical creature, one that’s rooted in nature, yet new. From this grew the idea of the Moosh. Gentle, woodland guardians who use spores to communicate and protect the woodlands around them.
The Moosh and the other creatures are illustrated by Jenny Taylor.
Beastopia by Chrissie Sains and Jenny Taylor (illus.) is out now, published by Walker Books.
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