Drawing and Activity Sheets

Since many people are now at home I have made all of the worksheets from my books The Station Mouse, Pigeon P.I. and Life Is Magic available to download on my website.  There are drawing activities, colouring in and puzzles too.  Stay safe and wash those hands.

You can find all of the activity sheets here click here!

If you don't have a printer many of the activities can be viewed onscreen and then drawn onto paper, like the How to draw Maurice below.

Here are some examples of what you'll find...

I've also added How to make a Thaumatrope from Life Is Magic. 

 If you have a copy of the book then check under the hardback dustcover or scan the QR code in the back of the paperback to find your own instructions.

Edinburgh International Book Festival

Last week I was luckily enough to attend my first ever Edinburgh International Book Festival, which is a bit silly since it's only a year younger than me and I didn't live that far away, but I can now proudly say I've been.

And the sun was out.

I ran two events.  One was a short storytelling session in the Story Box, and the other was in the Baillie Gifford Imagination Lab and required Houdini and a magic suitcase.  Many a magnificent Houdini was drawn by our young audience (and a few adults too) and no-one has yet been turned into a rabbit...well, not permanently.

Only a garish pink strap can keep the magic contained.

Huge thanks to all the lovely children and adults who came to see us, and to the Edinburgh Book Festival staff who were so welcoming.

I'm probably supposed to be doing something...

Many pennies were spent in the Children's bookshop.

Magical mystery school visits

It's been a very busy week.  I'm trying to finish my third book (it's nearly done!) but I've had a break away from my desk this week to attend the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, to visit Discover Children's Story Centre for the first time (it's marvellous!) and to do a few school events too.  Thank you so much to Paul and Harriet at Andersen Press and Heather at Waterstones Bromley for organising everything, including myself!

Armed with my magical suitcase 'Paddington' and my better half Jon, we've had a great time reading stories, solving mysteries, doing some magic and drawing with over 550 school kids.

Paddington

Discover Children's Story Centre

Did I mention that Jon also doubles up as a magician? He's very handy .

Teaching everyone to draw Houdini.  

Thank you to the staff and children of Manorfield Primary School, and everyone at Discover for organising the event and for giving us a tour of this amazing space.  Seriously, go visit.

Southborough Primary School

Showing some character sketches to some seriously well behaved children.

Stillness Infant School

More drawing and a mic because I'm quiet as a mouse.


Thank you so much to all the school staff and children, we had such a great time.

The Waterstones Children's Book Prize

The shortlisted authors and illustrators with children's laureate Chris Riddell.

A highlight

Meeting Matt Roberston, Francesca Sanna and Fabi Santiago.  If you combine all four of us we have 20/20 vision!

Proof I was there.

Huge congratulations to Illustrated Books winner Lizzy Stewart, Older Fiction Winner Patrice Lawrence and overall winner Kiran Millwood Hargrave.  And thanks to Waterstones for such a great evening.

Now, back to book three...

The Klaus Flugge Prize

I am very excited to announce that Life Is Magic has been longlisted for The Klaus Flugge Prize! Now in its second year, the Klaus Flugge Prize recognises and celebrates newcomers to children's book illustration, and this year's long list features so many illustrators whose work I love.  

You can read more about the prize and the full long list here.  Congratulations everyone!

Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017

I'm really excited to announce that Life Is Magic has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 in the Best Illustrated category alongside five other brilliant books.  Huge congratulations all,  especially fellow MA Children's Book Illustration graduates Fabi Santiago and Matt Robertson.

Published by those lovely people at Andersen Press now is a good time to thank my editor and art director, Libby and Beccy, who are both fantastic at what they do and brilliant people to work with.  They really helped make this book into the best version of itself.  My lovely agent Helen also deserves a big thank you for helping shape the very first draft into something that was worth putting on a publisher's desk.   This book wouldn't exist without them.

To celebrate there's a jaunty red-lettered cover.

You can read all about the prize and see the full shortlists for every category here.
Congratulations everyone!

Life Is Magic Paperback!

Life is Magic is out now in paperback for those who like a book with a little more bend.  Hooray!

Can you spot the cover differences from the hardback?

Here's a peek at the insides...

Tadaa!

This is Gary.  

Some magic in action.

There's now a jaunty 'This book belongs to...' page where you can write your name or whatever takes your fancy.  And the clever clogs' at Andersen Press have managed to squeeze all the additional cover artwork in too.

Available in all good bookshops and the usual places online.

I've also recently been sent a few co-editions so if you're in the U.S.A look out for Rabbit Magic.

In French we have 'Tout est Magie' (which I had a lot of fun hand lettering)

and in Danish look for 'Livet er Magisk'

Happy Hallowe'en!

Houdini would like it noted that he's actually a hufflepuff.

The Kate Greenaway Medal Nominations 2017

Yesterday the nominations for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals were announced, and I'm thrilled that Life Is Magic was included in the latter.

Whoop!

It's very exciting, and a little strange, to be listed alongside so many of my illustration heroes.

You can read all about the medals and see the full lists of nominees here

North Somerset Teacher's Book Award

In some rather exciting news, which I forgot to share,  Life Is Magic has been shortlisted for the North Somerset Teacher's Book Award.  

They even found a magician to model the book!

You can read all about the award here and the picture book category features some really excellent books, all of which you can see here.  My favourite thing about the lovely North Somerset Award is that each book gets a review.  You can read the full Life Is Magic review here which is full of tips to further explore the book in the classroom, but here's a little excerpt I particularly enjoyed because it was a real joy to fill the book with background bunny shenanigans,

'As engaging and fun as the story is (because really, it is), there is true brilliance in the illustrations. The host of little bunnies are absolutely hilarious and constantly up to mischief in the back ground. There is also much that can be inferred from the pictures: they show glimpses of the action behind the scenes and give clues about what might happen next (did you see where that dreaded banana skin came from?). There is so much on each page to look at but the illustrations remain gentle and uncluttered.'

Thank you to everyone involved for your thoughtful review.

Winners are announced on November 12th so good luck everyone!

School Is Magic!

In February and March of this year my partner in crime and I took it upon ourselves to visit a few local primary schools to read Life Is Magic,  draw with the pupils, and do a little magic ourselves.

For those of you who don't know, I live in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland.  That means I'm this far up...

The schools we visited were very rural and absolutely lovely to us.

Houdini's first day at school...

Highland cow spotting

I was bowled over by the kid's enthusiasm for books and their absolute love of drawing.  My favourite part of each day was seeing the pictures they drew.  Here are some of the pupil's drawings from a few of our visits

Knockbreck Primary 1

Dornoch Primary 2

 





















Rhian was inspired to put on her own magic show at home.  Here are the tickets

Come on, come to it!

On World Book Day we were lucky enough to be invited by OnFife to perform to school children in two of their local venues.  Huge thanks to all the wonderful staff for their magical organisational skills and enthusiasm.  Here are some pictures of that lovely afternoon

Monsieur Lapin and Houdini

The best seat in the house

Mid-magic at the Buckhaven Theatre

Reading at the Lochgelly Centre

And here's a wonderful display by the pupils and staff at Chryston Primary School from the village I grew up in.

What a talented bunch

In progress

 

I'm particularly fond of this Gary

How To Draw...Houdini

If you haven't been over to the Booksniffer's site then you absolutely should.  She sniffs out the best in children's books so be sure to take a look.  You can read her review of Life Is Magic here, but be sure to take a wander because there's loads more to see.  She kindly featured a How To Draw Houdini recently and I've recreated it here.  Thanks Sniffer!