Tuesday 18 January 2022

Owls Are Cool - Guest Blog Post from Timothy Knapman

Oscar is an owl; a COOL owl. And cool owls DO NOT fly – they RUN. ZOOOOOOOOOM! So when snowy owl Reggie comes along, swooping and swooshing through the sky, Oscar’s not impressed at all. But when Reggie crashes into a tree, Oscar discovers that maybe they are not so different from one another after all…

A funny and heartwarming story about how being different is cool. It introduces the burrowing owl and their spectacular legs and beautiful burrows to small children.

Guest blog post from Timothy Knapman 


Timothy Knapman here, hello! I’d like to tell you a bit about my new book, Owls Are Cool, which is illustrated by the mighty Jason Cockcroft.

Ideas for picture books can come from anywhere, but it’s often something visual. I talked to a friend about stories, and she showed me a picture of a burrowing owl. There was something proud but vulnerable in the owl’s face, and at once, I could hear a voice in my head that seemed to fit him. Getting a fix on your main character is a good start, but you still need a story. Stories aren’t just a string of events that happen for no reason, they’re like a machine in which each moving part works in harmony with the rest, and they need a motor to drive them. That motor is usually a problem that the main character has to solve. So I needed a problem to power my story. I wondered what this proud animal would feel if he saw an owl that could fly – admiration, yes, but underneath it also loss as he watched something he couldn’t do. How was he going to deal with that? That’s when I knew I had a story.

 Research is an integral part of the process of writing picture books. If I’m writing about a particular animal, I’ll read as much about them as I can before I start. It’s an excellent way to get ideas, and I think stories feel richer if they include a few particular, telling details. But I’m not bound by the facts when I tell my stories because – and this is a big secret, so don’t let it get around – picture books about animals aren’t really about animals.

Take my new book; its hero is a burrowing owl who admires/envies, and then makes friends with, a flying owl. Does that sort of thing happen in the wild? I have no idea. Because I’m not really writing about animals at all, I’m writing about how a friendship begins. The heart of my story – the hero’s mixture of admiration, showing off, and vulnerability – comes not from any biology textbook about burrowing owls but from my memory of trying to make friends when I was a little boy. 

 Writing a picture book is like writing a song. Like songs, picture books can’t go on very long; they need some kind of quirk or novelty that hooks you, and, most of all, they have to be something you’re going to want to hear over and over again (young readers love repetition). I’ve been lucky enough to write a few songs and even luckier to have written them with some very talented composers, and it’s in the collaboration that song- and picture book-writing are most alike. I don’t try to do everything in my lyrics – lyrics are not poetry, they are not meant to stand on their own; music carries at least half of the song’s meaning – and it’s the same with illustrations, such as Jason Cockcroft's glorious images for our new book. I would never tell Jason what to draw; I have no fixed ideas about what my characters and their world look like, as long as they fit the story. I want to be surprised. And the result is always far better than I was expecting – a book that sings.

 This is a picture of my desk, where I’ve written many books, including my latest. I’ve given up trying to keep it tidy because I realised recently that the chaos is good for work. Yes, I know I have to dig under piles of papers to find a pen that works, and I’ll be snatching time where I can to read five books on wildly different subjects all at the same time, but the sense of urgency – of so many deadlines, and so little time – is a great spur to get working. If you have too much time to think about a project, you often find yourself thinking about it and not writing it. And I’m lucky enough to work on a great variety of different projects. Going from a picture book to a non-fiction book to an opera adaptation to a musical means that if I get stuck on one thing, there’s always somewhere else to go. And the answer to a problem in project A often presents itself after I’ve given up and gone over to work on project C. During the first lockdown, I had no deadlines, a nice tidy desk and time to read widely for pleasure. And I didn’t write a single usable word.

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A special thanks to our guest this week, Timothy Knapman!
Owls Are Cool is now available from all good booksellers.

Thursday 13 January 2022

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith

I Talk Like a River
by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith


After a day of being unable to speak when asked, and of being stared at, a boy and his father go to the river for some quiet time. "It's just a bad speech day," says Dad. But the boy can't stop thinking about all the eyes watching his lips twisting and twirling. When his father points to the river bubbling, churning, whirling and crashing, the boy finds a way to think about how he speaks. Even the river stutters. Like him. "I talk like a river," he says.
Now available in paperback!

Click here to read our Q&A with Jordan Scott.
Also from Sydney Smith:

Footpath Flowers
by JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith


In this wordless, beautifully illustrated picture book from award-winning poet JonArno Lawson, a little girl collects wild flowers while her distracted father pays her – and their surroundings – little attention. Each flower the little girl gathers becomes a gift for a person or animal, and whether the gift is noticed or ignored, both giver and recipient are transformed by their encounter. An ode to the importance of small things, small people and small gestures, Footpath Flowers is a quiet but powerful testament to the joy that children can find in ordinary things and the mutual value of giving.

Small in the City
by Sydney Smith


WINNER OF THE 2020 KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL

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...

Town is by the Sea
by Joanne Schwartz and illustrated by Sydney Smith


WINNER OF THE 2017 KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL

Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Footpath Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of mining history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a mining town will enthral children and move adult readers, as a young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a cosy dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.

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Available to buy from all good booksellers.

Tuesday 11 January 2022

I Am Hungry by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Robert Starling


I am Hungry
by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Robert Starling


Look out, this squirrel is HUNGRY. So hungry it could eat boiled rice, chocolate mice, a gingerbread man ... even a frying pan! Is there anything it WON'T eat?


A rollicking ride of increasing absurdity and imagination, this hilarious picture book captures the occasional outlandishness of toddler moods. Based on the popular poem from A Great Big Cuddle, I Am Hungry is a terrific read-aloud from the master of rhyme, Michael Rosen, coupled with brilliantly bold illustration from Robert Starling.

I am Angry
by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Robert Starling

This kitten may look cute and cuddly, but better beware: they're angry. Really angry. Angry, angry, angry! And this isn't any old "angry". This is a jump-up-and-down, roll-on-the-ground kind of angry. This is a spider-scaring, tiger-scaring kind of angry. This is a burst-balloon-ing, SQUASH-THE-MOON-ING kind of angry...


As surreal as things may get, this is also the kind of angry that parents of toddlers will recognize – a bad mood that comes out of nowhere, escalates wildly, then disappears as suddenly as it arrived. 


Based on the popular poem from A Great Big CuddleI Am Angry combines Michael Rosen's brilliant rhymes and anarchic imagination, Robert Starling's perfect knack for character and a reassuring message: anger may feel overpowering, but it doesn't last forever.


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I Am Hungry and I Am Angry are now available from all good booksellers!

Thursday 6 January 2022

New January Picture Book Releases

Kick off the new year right with a selection of our January releases below! 

Baby, Sleepy Baby
by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank


Baby, sleepy baby, I'll sing down the stars
Till they dance right into your room.

A beautiful and lyrical book that celebrates the warmth and tenderness of wrapping baby in night-time's embrace. Based on a Nigerian lullaby sung to Atinuke by her father, this story delights in the magical moments shared with a whole family and their baby at bedtime.

Isabelle and the Crooks
by Michelle Robinson and illustrated by Chris Mould

Isabelle Crook is a very good little girl who would never dream of breaking the law. Her family, on the other hand, are the stealthiest, most cunning burglars around! Can Isabelle ever feel like one of the gang – a true Crook – while staying true to herself? Irreverent and adventurous, this picture book comedy sees everyone tip-toeing about at night and is brought to life by Chris Mould's expressive, gloriously detailed illustrations.


The Think Ups
by Claire Alexander


It's a rainy day, and Anna and Kiki are stuck indoors, wondering what to play next. Suddenly, Kiki has an idea for a new game. "All you have to do," she explains, "is think up a Think-Up, and it will appear!" And she thinks up … BUNNIES! Then they conjure up the most marvellous, magnificent MOOSE! And octopi! And nine HUNGRY koalas! Hmm … is it possible to UN-think a Think-Up? With half-cut pages that make for funny surprises at every turn, this is a fresh celebration of imaginary play for the youngest of children.

I am Hungry
by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Robert Starling


Look out, this squirrel is HUNGRY. So hungry it could eat boiled rice, chocolate mice, a gingerbread man ... even a frying pan! Is there anything it WON'T eat?

A rollicking ride of increasing absurdity and imagination, this hilarious picture book captures the occasional outlandishness of toddler moods. Based on the popular poem from A Great Big Cuddle, I Am Hungry is a terrific read-aloud from the master of rhyme, Michael Rosen, coupled with brilliantly bold illustration from Robert Starling.

Tales from the Inner City
by Shaun Tan


Where can we live if not in each other's shadow?

World-renowned artist Shaun Tan applies his extraordinary talent to a reflection on the nature of humans and animals and our urban co-existence. From animals as disparate as crocodiles, tigers, bees and whales, this is a dark and surreal exploration of the perennial love we feel and destruction we inflict – and shows how animals, whether domestic, feral or really wild, can save us, and how we are entwined, for better or for worse. Tales from the Inner City is a truly masterly work, bearing all of Shaun Tan's trademark wit and poignancy in both its prose and exquisite illustrations.

Lion Lullaby
by Kate Banks and illustrated by Lauren Tobia


The sun begins to set on the savannah, and ten little lions must find their way home before dark. One by one, lion cubs emerge from trees, past bouncing monkeys and braying zebras. They cross a stream, watch a herd of thundering wildebeest, and explore the darkening beauty of the landscape. As the moon rises, ten little lion cubs curl up together just in time for bedtime, under their mothers' watch in a space that is cosy and warm. Kate Banks's gorgeously melodic text, paired with Lauren Tobia's charming illustrations, create a lullaby to ensure the sweetest of dreams.

Anthony and the Gargoyle
by Jo Ellen Bogart and illustrated by Maja Kastelic


Anthony wakes up one morning to find his favourite rock has cracked open – and it's hollow! He discovers a strange-looking hatchling inside, and the two become fast friends. When Anthony asks his mother where the rock came from, she shows him photos from their trip to Paris, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, with familiar-looking forms perched on top. Could Anthony's new friend be a gargoyle?

This magical wordless story is brought to life in stunning, silent, hand-painted panels and is a touching tale of true friendship and letting go.

Owls Are Cool
by Timothy Knapman and illustrated by Jason Cockcroft

Oscar is an owl, a COOL owl. And cool owls DO NOT fly – they RUN. ZOOOOOOOOOM! So when snowy owl Reggie comes along, swooping and swooshing through the sky, Oscar's not impressed at all. But when Reggie crashes into a tree, Oscar discovers that maybe they are not so different from one another after all…

A funny and heartwarming story about how being different is cool. It introduces the burrowing owl and their spectacular legs and beautiful burrows to small children.

Jelly-Boy
by Nicole Godwin and illustrated by Christopher Nielsen


What happens when a jellyfish falls in love with a plastic bag she mistakes for a jelly-boy? Jelly-Boy is different. He is big and strong. And not as wobbly as the other Jelly-Boys. By the time Jelly-Girl discovers the dangerous truth about her new friend, it may already be too late.

This is an inventive approach to tackling a conservation issue that is plaguing our world: too much plastic in the ocean. Told in a kid-friendly and humorous way, this is a story with the potential to encourage dialogue around an important issue.

Some Dinosaurs Are Small
by Charlotte Voake


Some dinosaurs are small, and some dinosaurs are BIG. Some dinosaurs have tiny teeth for munching leaves, and some dinosaurs have pointy teeth for munching … OTHER dinosaurs! UH-OH. Some dinosaurs need to RUN!

In pure pantomime spirit, children will want to cry out, "He's behind you!" in this bright, bold and thrilling picture book from one of the most acclaimed contemporary children's bookmakers, Charlotte Voake.
Now out in paperback.


All of our January releases are now available from all good booksellers.