Wednesday 30 June 2021

Oscar's Tower of Flowers - Q&A with Lauren Tobia

Today we welcome Lauren Tobia onto Picture Book Party to talk about her new picture book, Oscar's Tower of Flowers.

  

Oscar's mum has to go away, just for a little while. So Oscar has come to stay with his nana. Oscar likes being with Nana in her tower block, but he really misses his mum, too. So, one day, Nana has an idea. Together, they carefully sow seeds – lots and lots of seeds! And then they water them, and wait… And the seeds start to grow! And the flowers begin to burst! There are plants everywhere. But, what to do with them all?

In a timely silent narrative for the youngest readers – gorgeously illustrated with graphic panels and sweeping spreads that evoke the urban bustle of a busy high-rise – Lauren Tobia shows how each individual, each child, can bring lushness and vitality to a community.

Q&A with Lauren Tobia


How did you get into illustration and picture book writing?

I suppose everything begins and ends with drawing for me. I have always drawn, I loved drawing and crafts as a child and never stopped.  I am always happiest when totally absorbed in putting pencil or paint to paper.

I worked as a nurse for many years, but when I reached my 40th birthday, I realised it was time to change. I joined the illustration course at UWE Bristol and have never looked back.

Near the end of the degree, I entered the Macmillan Children’s Book Prize and was highly commended with a wordless book about a blue cat. I think that was a huge encouragement, topped off by being phoned after leaving uni and offered work illustrating Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke with Walker Books.

I started working on the early readers, producing black and white illustrations, and as the collection of Anna books grew, I continued to learn. As the years have gone by, I have worked for other publishers and the lovely Walker team over in the US and each time I help make a book I learn and try out more. 

What was your inspiration behind Oscar’s Tower of Flowers?

That’s easy. My grandson Oscar!

I found out I was going to be a nanna and everything came together. I combined all of my obsessions; cityscapes, my grandson, and the blue cat from my first dummy book for the Macmillan Prize - oh, and houseplants as I have a market stall and little houseplant business in Bristol.

Can you talk a little about your work process? 

My work process is pretty simple as I also have to work with my dyslexia. In my case, I have a concise attention span and get very distracted so I should keep some sort of office hours in my studio. Of course my mind wanders, but it will tumble back eventually if I am at my desk. I draw everything in pencil usually very quickly and then transfer the drawing into a digital image and build up a page using colours and textures and ideas I pull together. It works well for me as it is immediate and easily editable. 

If I am in the early stages of work, I will paint and whiz off on my bike or go and sit somewhere and people watch, but once I start properly I am back at the studio in my spare bedroom.

What was your favourite spread to illustrate in Oscar’s Tower of Flowers?

I loved drawing anything I could fill with plants, but I suppose the final endpaper is my favourite with all the plants and people waving and talking to each other and the beehive on the roof... even though I loved making all of the pictures.

I love drawing city’s with their tower blocks and houses and all the liveliness of a city.

What are your favourite picture books, both older and more recent? 

My favourite picture books vary so much. Some illustrators /artists I admire are Britta Teckentrup, Sydney Smith and Lucy Cousins, particularly Hooray for Fish - but I probably change my favourite every week.

There are a few illustrators that will always be special to me such as H.E. Shepherd and his beautiful drawings of Pooh Bear and friends and Gerald Rose, who illustrated The Great Jelly of London by Paul Jennings that I took out of the library almost continuously as a child.

Any list would not be complete without a shout out to Mary Blair for her fabulous colours and compositions, Edward Ardizzone and Heath Robinson, who I have always loved and makes me chuckle.

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A special thanks to our guest this week, Lauren Tobia!
Oscar's Tower of Flowers is now available to buy from all good booksellers.

Thursday 17 June 2021

Sydney Smith wins The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal!


Sydney Smith has WON The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for the second time, with his first author/illustrated book Small in the City!

This is an incredible feat, joining a prestigious list
of illustrators who have won twice, such as Helen Oxenbury, John Burningham,
Shirley Hughes, Anthony Browne – and Chris Riddell, who has won three
times!

It’s also a wonderful achievement for Walker Books, as this will make it our third Greenaway win in four years, and our 13th win overall! HUGE congratulations to both Sydney Smith on your win and fellow Walker Books author/illustrator Pete Oswald for being shortlisted for Hike!



 The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is one of the UK’s oldest and most loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people.
‘With themes of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world, we hope this year’s shortlists will inspire and empower young readers.’

Small in the City by Sydney Smith


Being small can be overwhelming in a city. People don't see you. The loud sounds of the sirens and cyclists can be scary. And the streets are so busy it can make your brain feel like there's too much stuff in it. But if you know where to find good hiding places, warm dryer vents that blow out hot steam that smells like summer, music to listen to or friends to say hi to, there can be comfort in the city, too. We follow our little protagonist, who knows all about what it's like to be small in the city, as he gives his best advice for surviving there. As we turn the pages, Sydney Smith's masterful storytelling allows us to glimpse exactly who this advice is for, leading us to a powerful, heart-rending realization...


About Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith has illustrated multiple children’s books, including Town is by the Sea, the winner of the 2017 Kate Greenaway Medal, The White Cat and the Monk, written by Jo Ellen Bogart, and the acclaimed Footpath Flowers, which was a New York Times Children’s Book of the Year and a winner of the Governor General Award for Illustration. Born in Nova Scotia in Canada, Sydney now lives in Toronto with his wife and son. Find him online at sydneydraws.ca and on Twitter and Instagram as @sydneydraws.


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Small in the City is available to buy from all good booksellers!

Thursday 10 June 2021

Frog vs Toad by Ben Mantle - Now out in Paperback!

 

Frog is a frog. And Toad is a toad. They are totally different from each other. So when a fly mistakes Frog and Toad for two FROGS, it’s not long before things get a bit fruity... Luckily, a too-close call with a snappy alligator makes Frog and Toad join forces to see that they’re not THAT different after all… At heart, a laugh-out-loud journey about togetherness, putting differences aside and realizing that friends don't need to be just like you, but they come in all shapes and sizes!


Click here to download our Frog vs Toad activity sheets!


Click here to enter our Frog vs Toad competition:


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Frog vs Toad is now available in paperback from all good booksellers!

Thursday 3 June 2021

New June Picture Books Releases!

Check out a selection of our new releases for June below!

Dance with Oti: The Bird Jive
by Oti Mabuse and illustrated by Samara Hardy


It’s time for Oti’s dance class! Join Oti in her dance studio and learn “The Bird Jive” in ten easy steps.

There are lots of children in Oti’s dance class – and lots of feelings, too. Meet Fikile in her sparkly new shoes and Naira, who is SUPER excited to get started! Gan is feeling a little worried about joining in whilst Martin can’t wait to show his parents what he can do! But in the middle of their dance routine, an unexpected visitor disrupts the class. Not to fear, Oti is here! Soon they are back on track, getting ready for the performance of their lives.

Written by Strictly Come Dancing superstar Oti Mabuse, this debut picture book will dance into the hands of families who have loved watching Oti on-screen.

Download our Dance with Oti activity sheets here


Julian at the Wedding 
by Jessica Love


Julian and his nana are attending a wedding. Better yet, Julian is in the wedding along with his cousin Marisol. When wedding duties are fulfilled and with a new dog friend in tow, the pair takes off to roam the venue, exploring everywhere from underneath tables to enchanting willow trees to ... muddy puddles? After all, it wouldn’t be a wedding without fun, laughter and a little magical mischief. With ingenuity and heart, author-illustrator Jessica Love tells a charming story of friendship, acceptance and celebration.

Now out in paperback!

Click here for our Julian at the Wedding activity sheets!

Frog vs Toad
by Ben Mantle


Frog is a frog. And Toad is a toad. They are totally different from each other. So when a fly mistakes Frog and Toad for two FROGS, it’s not long before things get a bit fruity... Luckily, a too-close call with a snappy alligator makes Frog and Toad join forces to see that they’re not THAT different after all… At heart, a laugh-out-loud journey about togetherness, putting differences aside and realizing that friends don't need to be just like you, but they come in all shapes and sizes!

Now out in paperback!

Click here for our Frog vs Toad activity sheets.

Margaret's Unicorn
by Briony May Smith


Margaret's whole world changes when her family moves to a cottage by the sea to be near her grandma. One evening, Margaret spots a mist over the water. No, that's not mist ... clouds, maybe? No, they're unicorns descending onto the shore! They vanish as quickly as they'd appeared, but accidentally leave behind a baby, tangled in the weeds. Margaret, lonely and in need of a friend, brings him home...

A heart-warming story of friendship and kindness brought to magical life by Briony May Smith's enchanting characters and breathtaking coastal landscapes.

Out of the Blue
by Elizabeth Shreeve and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon


Discover the story of life on Earth, and how it evolved from tiny cells in vast oceans into the huge variety of creatures that covered our prehistoric planet. Find out why creatures first emerged from the sea and brought life onto land, in a lively and engaging journey through millions of years of fishes, giant reptiles and mammals. With illustrations from the award-winning Frann Preston-Gannon, this is a gorgeous introduction to the amazing story of prehistoric life.

My First Book of Sea Creatures
illustrated by Zoë Ingram


Illustrated in a bright, contemporary style, this modern guide to twenty of the most interesting marine animals from all around the world is packed with information and fun facts – everything you need to know to help you learn about and identify our ocean-living friends. From the little shrimp to the big blue whale, taking in the magnificent narwhal, the beautiful moon jellyfish and the fascinating anglerfish along the way, there is so much to find out. With key facts about size, habitat, diet and population, there are detailed descriptions of each animal and fascinating did-you-know facts!

Mister Boo!
by Joyce Dunbar and illustrated by Petr Horácek


Mischievous Mister Boo loves to give everyone he meets a surprise. He shocks the baby birds, the baby rabbits and the baby owls. BOO! But one day he wakes up without his usual energy and no one seems to take any notice of him. Will Mister Boo learn to accept change and find joy again? A buoyant second collaboration between the acclaimed writer Joyce Dunbar and world-renowned illustrator Petr Horácek.

Oscar's Tower with Flowers
by Lauren Tobia


Oscar's mum has to go away, just for a little while. So Oscar has come to stay with his nana. Oscar likes being with Nana in her tower block, but he really misses his mum, too. So, one day, Nana has an idea. Together, they carefully sow seeds – lots and lots of seeds! And then they water them, and wait… And the seeds start to grow! And the flowers begin to burst! There are plants everywhere. But, what to do with them all?

In a timely silent narrative for the youngest readers – gorgeously illustrated with graphic panels and sweeping spreads that evoke the urban bustle of a busy high-rise – Lauren Tobia shows how each individual, each child, can bring lushness and vitality to a community.

Hugo
by Atinuke and illustrated by Birgitta Sif


Hugo the pigeon has an important job. He looks after the park and everyone who lives there. Everyone except for the Somebody whose curtains are never open. But one day, Hugo is so busy doing his showing-off dance that he doesn't see the dog approaching ... and Somebody has to fly to the rescue!
A charming story about community and the value of friendship, beautifully brought to life by Birgitta Sif's energetic illustrations.

Now out in paperback!

Click here for our Hugo activity sheets!

Grow: Secrets of our DNA
by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Emily Sutton


"Vibrantly illustrated, this is a fascinating and accessible introduction to the concept of DNA for five- to eight-year-olds" - The Guardian

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the concept of DNA for younger readers. All living things grow – every plant and every animal, including human beings. Some things grow fast and others grow slowly; some things grow by tiny degrees, while others grow to be enormous. Yet there's something about the way we grow that links us all together. Ever since you were the size of a dot, your body has been following a set of instructions: a code, which connects you with every creature on the planet... With words from Nicola Davies and exquisite artwork by Emily Sutton, this groundbreaking book is certain to enchant and inspire children.

Now out in paperback!

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All of our June releases are now available from all good booksellers!