Blending mystery, humour, and heart, Mario Ambrosi’s Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures is a powerful children’s book about dementia that invites young readers into an engaging detective story with real emotional depth. Through the eyes of 12-year-old Scarlett and her trusty sidekick Bournemouth, young readers are taken on a cosy-crime-influenced adventure that both entertains and educates.
In this Q&A, Mario shares the personal inspiration behind writing a children’s book about dementia, the importance of person-centred care, and his hopes for encouraging young readers to ask questions, connect with older generations, and maybe even consider a future in the care profession.
Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures by Mario Ambrosi is available now
from all good bookshops and online from Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org
Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures is a detective story for younger readers, but it’s also a children’s book about dementia. What inspired you to explore this subject in such an accessible and engaging way?
I had two reasons for writing it: to help my kids feel OK asking questions when my uncle was diagnosed with dementia, and to show what a massive difference care professionals make.
It’s amazing how key facts about someone’s life can be the clues to provide the best care possible. A 12-year-old girl and her sidekick turning detectives to learn about her Gran’s life history, felt a good way to get that across.
It’s a serious message, but there’s lots of mystery and excitement – and funny bits too. I really hope the story inspires some young people to think about working in care. There’s a shortage of social care professionals, and I’d love to encourage more young people to consider it as a career.
Writing a children’s book about dementia is no easy task. How did you approach this complex and emotional topic in a way that would feel both honest and appropriate for young readers?
The starting point was speaking to my own children about what they were seeing with my uncle. It was important to emphasise that dementia affects different people in different ways. Setting it in a care home meant the people working there could explain it to Scarlett and Bournemouth, so readers could understand too.
My training as a journalist helped me research for the book. I interviewed and got help from lots of people; people living with dementia and their relatives, dementia specialists, care professionals and teachers and education experts. A draft of the story was a finalist in the Bath Children’s Novel Award, which is judged by children, so it was great to know it resonated with the junior judges.
You’ve had experience working within the care sector. How important was it to represent that field well with this book, as well as the people they’re caring for?
I have enormous respect for care professionals so it was massively important for that to come through in the story.
The book’s really about the difference that great person-centred care can make, and I wanted to celebrate the people who work in care homes. I’ve seen so many examples of the difference that care professionals make. “Person-centred care” is about treating everyone as an individual and shaping support around people’s preferences, needs and values. Often, that’s tied up with life history, the stuff that’s happened in people’s lives that makes us who we are.
Scarlett is a bold and determined character. How did her character develop as you were writing the book, and how important was it for you to get her relationship with Gran right?
Scarlett’s got a strong moral compass and feels a real responsibility to do what she thinks is right – even if it gets her into trouble. Writing it, there were definitely times when it felt like Scarlett was making the decisions about what would happen next rather than me.
I spent a lot of time with older family members when I was a kid, so the relationship between Scarlett and her gran felt very natural. Gran’s dog, Bogey, is a really important link between the two of them, and he plays a key role in solving the mystery.
Scarlett and Bournemouth have a great relationship, too. How important do you think it is to show such a strong friendship, and how does that help when faced with really difficult situations?
My first draft of the novel was narrated by Bournemouth – the way Watson narrates the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Hastings narrates a lot of Inspector Poirot stories.
Once I got to know them, though, I realised that wasn’t the right approach. Scarlett and Bournemouth are very different from each other but more equal partners. Scarlett’s all emotion and courage, while Bournemouth’s the rational, logical type – and much less likely to take risks. They bicker at first but learn to like each other as they realise it’ll take both their sets of skills to solve the case.
Gran’s missing pictures are at the centre of this mystery. Without giving too much away, can you talk about what they represent?
The pictures represent a part of Gran’s life that Scarlett doesn’t know about. It’s so important that younger generations learn about the lives of the older people around them. Lots of us – adults as well as kids – are glued to our mobile phones so much that we risk losing the skills to have proper conversations and connect across generations.
Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures very much feels like a cosy crime novel for younger readers. Is writing for children something you’ve always wanted to do?
I’ve always loved writing, but it was only when I had kids of my own that I realised how much I wanted to write for that age group. My kids exposed me to amazing writers like Cath Howe, MG Leonard and Onjali Q Raúf. There are so many great authors writing for children and young people now that inspire me.
Scarlett’s story is rooted in personal experience. Were there particular memories or moments from your own life that made their way into the book?
Lots. Gran’s experiences reflect my uncle’s, but there are also lots of little things. Scarlett does this Jiu Jitsu move near the start of the story. My own daughter did the same thing to me when she was Scarlett’s age. My wrist still hurts when I think about it! My dad sometimes got my name wrong after he had a stroke when I was about 14, so Gran getting Scarlett’s name wrong is an echo of that.
What kind of books did you love growing up, and do you see any of those influences in your writing today?
My dad used to take me to the book boat when I was a kid – a bookshop on an old barge on the Thames in Greenwich. Down in its bowels was this magical world where I discovered the Fighting Fantasy choose-your-own-adventure series. They were probably the first books I got into. I also loved The Indian in the Cupboard and Stig of the Dump. Both those stories were about kids who felt a real responsibility for someone else. They probably influenced me when I was writing Scarlett, even though I didn’t realise it at the time.
As a children’s book about dementia, Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures will resonate with many families. What do you hope young readers take away from Scarlett’s story, especially those with loved ones living with dementia?
I think most kids have a natural curiosity, and I want to ensure they don’t lose that – or feel too shy to ask questions – we can all be detectives!
I hope kids understand that dementia is different for everybody, and not everyone needs a care home. What really matters is taking time to ask questions, being kind, paying attention to people’s feelings and really listening.
Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures by Mario Ambrosi is available now from all good bookshops and online from Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org
