Marjorie Crosby-Fairall on Emmie Builds Something New

In this post, we feature author and artist Marjorie Crosby-Fairall, whose previous work includes the illustrations for Summer Blue, written by Trudie Trewin. You can hear her speak about her recent picture book, Emmie Builds Something New. You can also try her “invitation to imagine” activities and find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Emmie Builds Something New

Written and illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall
Published by Red Comet
Release date: Sep 30, 2025

In the enchanting world of Emmie the mouse, the attic is more than just a storage space—it’s her kingdom! Surrounded by dusty forgotten treasures, Emmie is a clever inventor who transforms ordinary objects into extraordinary machines, each one a testament to her creativity and engineering prowess. But when a mischievous black-and-white cat intrudes upon her realm, Emmie must put her skills to the test. Determined to reclaim her domain, she devises increasingly inventive contraptions to outsmart her furry foe. As she navigates this playful battle, Emmie discovers that sometimes the best solutions come from unexpected friendships. With stunning illustrations reminiscent of Rube Goldberg and David Macaulay, Emmie Builds Something New is a captivating tale that celebrates innovation, resilience, and the power of kindness.

An interior image from Emmie Builds Something New showing a cluttered attic, rendered in black and white, while a dollhouse surrounded by Emmie's inventions stands out in bright color from the clutter.

An interior image from Emmie Builds Something New showing many inset images of Emmie making inventions from found materials in the attic. Pictured are an irrigation system for a sunflower, a rope ladder from a ball of yarn, and a roller skate, which becomes the truck to carry found objects.

An interior image from Emmie Builds Something New showing a mechanical lion created from Emmie's found treasures. Emmie drives the lion from a seat by the lion's tail.

Explore Emmie Builds Something New

Listen to Marjorie Crosby-Fairall talking with TeachingBooks about creating Emmie Builds Something New. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

Invitation to Imagine

TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activities contributed by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall.

Imagination Activity with Marjorie Crosby-Fairall

Emmie is a little mouse who uses clever creations to solve any problem. When I was illustrating Emmie Builds Something New, I tried to include all of the elements Emmie uses to build her clever creations on the opening pages. Try to imagine what you would build from all the things scattered around the attic, and what problem you would try to solve with your creation. Hint: you can use things that you imagine are in the boxes or tucked almost out of sight too!

Finish This Sentence . . . with Marjorie Crosby-Fairall

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy the response from Marjorie Crosby-Fairall.

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

A surprising thing that helps me work is taking a long walk. I find sudden bits of inspiration; little turns of phrase or solutions to a design problem will pop into my mind when I let my thoughts just drift and enjoy the walk.

“Where I work is…”

I work in a sunlit studio in my house. It’s very comfortable with lots of drawers to store my art supplies and lots of books to look at when I’m procrastinating. I like things to be quiet when I’m thinking about a new book, but when I’m at the drawing stage, I love to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and music.

Marjorie Crosby-Fairall's studio, with narrow file drawers for art on the left side, and, on the right, a drafting table with a work in progress on it's surface.

Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Marjorie Crosby-Fairall for signing a book for all of us.

The title page of Emmie Builds Something New, signed by the author with the message, "Stay creative and curious!!"

More Connections to Marjorie Crosby-Fairall and Emmie Builds Something New

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Marjorie Crosby-Fairall and Red Comet Press and may not be used without expressed written consent.