This year marks the 20th anniversary of How to Catch a Star, the debut picture book by Oliver Jeffers that launched his remarkable career in children's literature. Originally discovered in a pile of unsolicited manuscripts, the story has since become a classic, beloved by children and adults.

Now, Jeffers has released Where to Hide a Star, which is the fourth book in the bestselling series.

As a visual artist and author working in painting, bookmaking, illustration, collage, performance and sculpture, Jeffers spends a lot of time crafting his stories in his studio. In a recent interview with Q's Tom Power, he says that it felt strange to see his work on bookshelves early in his career.

"It is this separate experience that then suddenly is shared, so it feels strange," he says. "But over the years, I've learned that it's not necessarily about me or even the book, but the book is part of the triangle in this symbiotic relationship between a parent, a child and this special moment that becomes a fabric of their family. So I've learned to think about it differently."

Jeffers's writing is infused with empathy for children. "I can kind of remember what it felt like to be a child, the strange misinterpretations I had, how big everything did feel and the things that I was trying to work out," he tells Power.

"There's also a lot of books that people are making like, 'What do I think kids are interested in? What do I think they want to hear?' And then making that sort of book, and they tend to be easily forgettable. I make books about what it is to be a human being, and even children are going through those existential questions of what it means to exist, just in a very different way."

Jeffers's critically acclaimed picture books have been translated into more than 50 languages and have sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. Where to Hide a Star is out everywhere now.