As a mother of two children with additional needs, she wanted to create books that would engage all babies and toddlers, including those with sensory issues.
So the Gospel Oak author and designer, who has illustrated books with Julia Donaldson, launched her own board book series Mirror Magic.
Each creates a mirror world when the pages are held at 90 degree angles, and the first two Hello Bunny! and Hello Bee! are already out.
“They are very sensory and I’m mother to two girls who are both particularly sensory so it’s a world close to my heart. They are older, 7 and 10, but they love playing with it.
“My friend’s child is blind and it blew my mind to find out he has been enjoying the books. He can see a degree of light, so when his mum shines a torch at the images on the mirrored pages he gets a silhouette.
“It’s the first book he could visually experience and he’s fascinated by the way the light catches it. His favourite character is the stripey bee.”
Sharon, who has events and workshops planned at Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End and The British Library, adds: “I was touched to receive a note from a friend who runs Urban Forest Tribe.
“In a chaotic world it offered a sanctuary.”
The inspiration for mirrors sprang from Sharon’s childhood.
“Ever since a child I have been obsessed with mirrors, I would pretend in my bedroom that I was walking on the ceiling”
“There are mirrors in Snow White, Alice Through the Looking Glass and The Snow Queen. A mirror can be a powerful object, a portal to another world, the speaker of the truth, or in The Snow Queen a distorter.
“It reflects back at you and is a cool magical space to start exploring. You can interact with it, you smile at it and it will smile back.”
While working at design studio Stylorouge for six years, the Australian born designer created album covers for top bands like Crowded House and Skunk Anansie.
“I got to work with my dream bands and meet my heroes, but suddenly no-one was buying physical music any more, there was no love for records and it was time to get out.”
For the next 12 years she worked as a designer at publishers Macmillan, creating special editions of Alice in Wonderland and Gruffalo’s Child.
“I was doing products based around other people’s brands and felt I really needed to do my own books so I started out with other publishers,” she says.
Then when Macmillan was struggling to find an illustrator for Julia Donaldson’s new project, she stepped in: “Nothing was quite right. It had to be playful and boundary pushing, so I went home and worked up some visuals and Julia really liked them.”
Animalphabet is an interactive lift the flap book that allows children to peep through pages and guess what’s coming next, while Colours Colours Everywhere features lush illustrations with cut-out details and unfolding flaps alongside Donaldson’s rhyming text.
“It was incredible to work with her,” said Sharon.
“We have won awards around the world, she’s such a thoughtful collaborator, she looks at your work and bases the books around what you like doing. She really understands the world of illustration. I feel amazingly lucky to have worked with her.”
Sharon believes books are a “private universe” for children and parents.
“The World’s going so fast we have no control over it, but if you have a book, you are there with your child, you are in control and can create your own narrative.”
Sharon King-Chai gives a workshop at Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End on April 9.
