(previous interviews in this series can be found here.)

Welcome to another installment of Questions from a Kid. Today, the little Roarbots chat with Bob and Zoë Alley.

You may not know Bob Alley’s name, but you know his work. I guarantee it. Working under the name R.W. Alley, he’s been the sole illustrator of Paddington Bear (in all formats, on both sides of the Atlantic) for 20 years! Not many people are privileged enough in their careers to be the sole caretaker of a national icon, but Alley assumes the role with perfect grace and kindness.

But his career hasn’t been all Paddington, all the time. He’s also illustrated several other books and series, including the lovely four-book series about siblings Clark, Gretchen, Mitchell, and Annabelle, which celebrate the power of imagination in the real world away from screens.

(Check out my own, more in-depth conversation with Bob over on The Great Big Beautiful Podcast here.)

Where Bob is a master with brush and ink, his wife Zoë is a wrangler of words. She’s the author of numerous children’s picture books, including There’s a Wolf at the Door and There‘s a Princess in the Palace – both retellings of popular fairy tales.

Over the summer, Bob and Zoë very graciously opened up their home to the kids and their questions. Seeing the studio where decades of Paddington came to life was a definite highlight (for both the kids AND me, I’m not ashamed to admit) of a vacation overflowing with highlights.

As always, the kids came up with all of the questions. They’re in charge here.

[fve]https://youtu.be/T8aNYzNGrH8[/fve]

Thanks so much to Bob and Zoë for being so warm and welcoming and for taking the time to chat with the kids!