In 2019, Joanna May released an extraordinary tale about a Hare on the moon wanting to return to earth and its home in Wiltshire. Readers need to discover and decode clues within the text and images of the tale in order to claim a beautiful painting of three interlocking hares on gold leaf. This treasured prize is valued around $10,000 and can be claimed by submitting the correct answer to the puzzle.
The book is amazing! Itself a treasure. I was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about its creator, Joanna May and her story and treasure hunt via MW’s Six Questions. Enjoy!
Six Questions with Joanna May:
- 1Q) Congrats on publishing such a stunning treasure hunt book. It’s truly a work of art, and a treasure. What inspired you to publish The Hare on the Moon as a treasure hunt? How can someone get involved? Do you anticipate a winner soon?
I was inspired to write and illustrate a treasure hunt book after I had produced my first zodiac painting, knowing it would be aired on the BBC’s Spring Watch programme. I knew it would lead to more paintings since there are 12 in the zodiac, my clients then booked their star signs. I hadn’t realized that the style would remind them of Masquerade, this inspired me to make the series of paintings into a story and treasure hunt as I had always loved Masquerade as a child. The paintings all had hares in and were different landmarks around the county of Wiltshire so I had the outline already and joined it up making the story about the Hare travelling to the landmarks and looking for treasure to do with that star sign. The Hare had to decode the stars to release it from it’s image on the moon. Anyone can get involved from a clever teenager to an Oxford Don. The book has now been out for coming up to two years and is still unsolved. All of the clues are in the pictures and the story and can be solved from your armchair. We believe it is solvable and someone could solve it any day and it would all be over. We believe we have made it hard but fair.
- 2Q) Did you paint the gorgeous ‘Three Hares on a Golden Moon’ specifically for the treasure hunt prize, or was this painting one you did before and knew it would be perfect? When did you first draw the Hare? What is it about the Hare that you love most?
‘Three Hares on a Golden Moon’ was produced specifically for the treasure hunt as the prize. I had always loved the image of the three hares connected by their ears, it’s an ancient Celtic symbol and I knew I would paint it one day. I realized it would be a perfect prize because it is connected with the lunar cycle and is, in itself, considered to be a puzzle. My first painting of hares was in the year 2000, I hadn’t realized that the hare was so popular back then. I just loved the idea of illustrating two hares boxing, to sell through my new gallery which opened in the year 2000. I found that clients wanted more hare painting so started to paint more boxing hares in different seasons, then under the stars and moon. What I really love about the hare, as a subject, is that no other animal has had so much folk law connected to it, which makes it great material for an artist.
- 3Q) As a UK treasure hunt highlighting locations from across your beautiful countryside, do you feel someone from the USA, or other country, has equal chance at coming up with the solution for the book? Are there clues within the book that only someone growing up in the UK will recognize or understand?
You can solve the clues from anywhere in the world and it’s not necessary to visit the landmarks. The clues are all in the book itself and would make sense to anyone.
- 4Q) What did you enjoy most about creating The Hare on the Moon? Had you previously worked on other treasure hunts or was this creation your first experience with them? Are there complex codes and ciphers to solve, or is it more of hide and seek style of hunt?
I enjoyed the whole process, the painting of the borders, creating the story and the clues and coming up with the design and working with the book formatter, to realize the project. I hadn’t created a treasure hunt story before but had grown up with Masquerade. As a child we had the book at home. My father was in publishing, and we always had the latest children’s books. Masquerade had been one of the books that had inspired me to want to be an artist. The story telling part and treasure hunt creation was fun for me, as my first book. I believe you would call the book a code and cipher type of treasure hunt more than a hide and seek style.
- 5Q) You mention on the back of the book that a searcher must find the clues, identify the required words, and find the map coordinates to locate the sacred site; the answer. Are you able to offer any advice for how someone searching for these clues and solution should go about this? Is all within the book, or is research on the internet, of various sites and more, needed?
I believe if you are dedicated enough and take in the words, backed up by the pictures you have every chance of coming up with the clues.
- 6Q) Your artwork of the Hare is beautiful. Has any other animal come close to capturing your attention, more so than the Hare? What other projects are you working on, now that The Hare on the Moon is published? Where can those who have been introduced to your art through the book, follow you, and purchase your works?
I love all animals, hares capture my imagination because there is so much written about them on the folk lore, and we know very little about its habits. I am also drawn to large animals too, like lions and leopards, I love to capture their stunning eyes. I adore the graphic style of a zebra, only nature could come up with such beauty and I love to portray it. I am well known for my lions, leopards, and zebras with my more contemporary work, selling to banks, famous hotels and celebrities.
I am so excited to let you know my latest project which is a treasure hunt map, to compliment the book ‘The Hare on the Moon’ It is called “The Golden Hare Trail” and has hints in it to help solve the book. Producing this is the reason it has taken me so long, to answer your questions, as I have been working solidly on it for the last three months and wanted to let you know about it in this article.
Both the book and the map can be bought through my website www.joannamay.com. The book can also be bought through Amazon in Europe and USA/Canada and we will plan to make the map available on Amazon soon. Another place to buy the book is Waterstones, again we will add the map in time. In the UK, the book and map are also available through independent book shops restaurants, cafes and hotels.
You can follow me on my Instagram and Facebook page Joanna May Hares and the Facebook group The Hare on the Moon.
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