For more than five decades, Jacqueline Wilson’s books have been a staple of British childhoods, tackling the messy realities of family life and the resilience of children facing adversity. Now, at 79, Wilson has returned to one of her most beloved stories with a new adult novel, Picture Imperfect, a sequel to her 1999 classic The Illustrated Mum. The move marks a bold new chapter for the writer, whose willingness to confront tough topics has long set her apart in the world of children’s literature.
When The Illustrated Mum first hit the shelves, it was met with both acclaim and concern. The story of sisters Dolphin and Star, struggling to cope with their unstable, heavily tattooed mother Marigold—whose bipolar disorder threatens to pull their family apart—was praised for its honesty and emotional depth. Yet, one particular scene sparked controversy: Marigold, desperate to hide her tattoos, covers herself in toxic white paint. Critics warned that this moment might be “too stark” for young readers. But Wilson stood her ground. “I was told it was scary, maybe too much,” she recalled in an interview with BBC News. “But I thought, no, that moment was what would push Dolphin to finally get help. It had to be there and luckily, I got my way.”
Wilson’s commitment to authenticity has sometimes drawn fire. She remembers one furious mother accusing her of ruining her daughter’s childhood because a book implied 11-year-olds might begin to doubt the existence of Father Christmas. “You can’t please everyone,” Wilson chuckled, reflecting on the complexities of writing for children. Despite such criticism, she remains unapologetic about exploring difficult themes. “It’s upsetting in some ways, but I had so many letters from children saying, ‘that’s just like my mum or my dad,’” she told BBC News. The power of her work to resonate with real families has always been at the heart of her storytelling.
With Picture Imperfect, Wilson takes her characters into adulthood, exploring the long-term effects of a chaotic childhood. The novel centers on Dolphin, now 33, still caring for Marigold and working in a tattoo parlour. “It was easy because I loved that book,” Wilson said of writing the sequel. “But it was hard because people carry their own ideas of what might have happened to those characters. Some wanted Marigold to have recovered, or Dolphin to have a wonderful career, or Star to be the perfect big sister but real life doesn’t always work that way and I’ve always wanted my books to be true to life.”
In the years since The Illustrated Mum, the three women’s lives have unfolded in ways both expected and painfully believable. Marigold still struggles to manage her medication or find stability. Star, having qualified as a doctor, lives in Edinburgh, keeping her distance from Marigold’s ongoing issues. Dolphin, the ever-reliable caretaker, remains “the go-to person, the one holding things together when Marigold gets into bizarre scrapes,” as Wilson describes. “She’s caring but resentful, struggling with relationships and not fulfilled. In this book, I wanted to give her choices in love and in work so she could figure out what she really wants.”
Wilson’s approach to tough subject matter has evolved alongside shifts in society. She acknowledges that today’s youth face far more concerning topics than previous generations, from misogyny and online abuse to incel culture. But she draws a clear line between what belongs in children’s books and what is reserved for adults. “If I were to put something as troubling as the whole incel thing into a children’s book, it would only ever be implied,” she explained. “With adult books, you can more or less write what you want. With children, you have to balance being honest without overwhelming them.”
This careful balancing act is central to Wilson’s philosophy. She feels a responsibility to offer honesty in her children’s books, but never at the expense of a young reader’s sense of safety. “In children’s books, you can’t go too far—you don’t want to frighten or bore kids with adult details. With adult books, you can put in whatever feels true so it’s like getting two bites of the cherry and I feel very lucky,” she said, reflecting on the creative freedom of writing for adults.
Wilson’s own life has been no less complex than those of her characters. She speaks candidly about her early marriage, its eventual breakdown, and the years of loneliness that followed. “I remember a day when my marriage had just broken up, my boiler nearly caught fire, I had no food in the fridge and I was up at dawn to do four school visits. A teacher said to me that she envied my glamorous life and I thought: ‘If only you knew’.” For the past 23 years, Wilson has found happiness with her partner, and she has spoken with pride about being seen as a gay icon. Love, she admits, once seemed a myth to her. “I thought the overwhelming feeling of love was a myth but when I was first dating my partner I really did get butterflies and it was just astonishing.”
Despite her literary fame, Wilson remains grounded. Asked if she would ever get a tattoo—a nod to the central motif of both Marigold’s flamboyant character and Dolphin’s career—she laughs off the idea. “I thought maybe a tiny dolphin would be a nice way of advertising the book but my skin’s too fragile so maybe I’ll just get a henna one.”
Wilson’s willingness to revisit her characters in adulthood is a relatively new development. Last year, she published her first adult novel, Think Again, a sequel to the Girls series, which became the bestselling adult debut hardback of 2024. She relishes the opportunity to explore more mature themes and complex realities that would be out of place in her children’s books. “With adult fiction, there’s much more freedom to tackle hard-hitting topics directly,” she said.
As for what’s next, Wilson is coy but hints that more sequels may be on the way. She’s already 30,000 words into her next project, though she refuses to reveal which beloved character will take center stage. For fans who have grown up with her books—and perhaps now find themselves grappling with the same adult challenges as Dolphin and Star—the prospect of further stories is tantalizing.
Jacqueline Wilson’s work has always been about finding truth in imperfection and hope amid hardship. With Picture Imperfect, she proves that her characters—and her readers—can keep growing, no matter how complicated life becomes.
