Author: Ken

Word on the Street

african, design, illustration, North London

WATTAGWAAN

Whatagwaan?

This phrase is essential of you are travelling to or living in a West Indian neighbourhood .(that’s ‘neighorhood’ to all the Americans in the house). It means, ‘What’s going on?’ in the Marvin Gaye sense.

It has a few versions, namely Wa’ Gwaan, ‘Wa’pn’, and can be used in many situations. like the one illustrated below;

At the African Carribean market when buying your weekly supply of yams,

Shopkeep: Wha’ gwaan. You wan a yam?

You: Na, me no wan a wole yam.

Shopkeep: Ar-right

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What’s happening?

illustration

I’ve had great fun working on chicken! Newspaper for children these last two years. Not only is it gaining ground and making a difference to these who read it,  but it is also carving out a space in realm of media for children.

With each issue the vision we had of a newspaper for primary school children is becoming clearer.

So what’s it all about, I hear you ask? Here is a short introduction to my world:

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Children, community and sponsors

chicken! newspaper is published four times a year. Each issue has a theme and a featured letter. For the next issue (January 2016), the theme is PEACE and the letter is R.

You can Read chicken! issue 5, or better still we can send a copy of the printed Tabloid sized version in the post.

The newspaper is distributed to children mainly through schools, but also libraries, doctors’ surgeries, after-school clubs and day centres and anywhere where there are children.

The business part of chicken! Newspaper is based on partnership, as opposed to advertising and subscription. Partners is pre-buying copies of chicken! which we deliver to schools for free. It costs £90.00 (135 USD) to sponsor one class of 30 children).

Partners don’t always have to pay… They can write or suggest content, or introduce us to other potential partners and subscribers. All partners benefit by having their names featured on a dedicated page in the next issue and the chicken! newspaper website They also have a chance to connect with sponsored schools. We offer up to 50 free copies to schools for evaluation.

You can find out more on the chicken! website.

For sponsorship options on our website, click Sponsor

For subscription information, click Subscribe

Subscription includes four issues a year and various offers form our partners, like, for instance, discounts on trips to Lapland this Christmas, the chance to win books and and other merchandise throughout the year.
Feed their minds with chicken! (I thought of that all by myself)

 

Endangered animals: The Black Footed Ferret

character, children's books, idea, illustration, Ken Wilson-Max

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The black-footed ferret was Once thought to be globally extinct, but it is making a comeback. It is found in North America and for the last thirty years, people have worked hard to give black-footed ferrets a second chance for survival.
There are now nearly 1,000 animals across North America and of course there is much work to be done to make sure they not only survive, but thrive.

Good luck to the bandits of the prairies!

H is for…

design, idea, illustration

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 ha-ha |ˈhɑːhɑː|noun

A ditch with a wall on its inner side below ground level, forming a boundary to a park or garden without interrupting the view.
ORIGIN- early 18th century: from French, said to be from the cry of surprise on suddenly encountering such an obstacle.

That’s funny… Hahaha!

Chicken Newspaper Summer 2104 Issue

Activities & Play, design, idea

We’ve invented a new job title. It echoes how we feel about the chicken newspaper project and tells all that this is more than just a project.

That title is Proud Publisher

Being the Proud Publisher of chicken! newspaper for children means that we have to deliver the best publication that we are able to assemble. Our pride is at stake!

The digital version of the chicken newspaper summer issue  is now live.

The printed issue is on its way and will be in schools in a few days.

There’s pride and excitement in our studio and no space for much else this weekend, so let me know of you like what you see.

Bringing History to Life

design, Ken Wilson-Max, stories

Are you worried children will be bored by stories of events that took pace ages ago?  A little self-conscious that you might start to sound like an old person, a know-it-all? You wouldn’t be the first parent or grown up stuck with the challenge of making history sound, well, current for children. Talking about war is an even trickier proposition. Trust in your child’s intelligence, imagination and empathy. Then do some research, because the facts are already written. Then, all you have to do is tell the story in a way that relates to here and now.

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Take for instance, the story of Momčilo Gavrić (pronounced, Momchillo Gavrich), the youngest soldier in the First World War, which started one hundred hers ago in July, 1914. He was  the eighth child of eleven. His mum and dad were Alimpije and Jelena Gavrić. With 10 brothers and sisters, imagine the house they all lived in. Life must have been quite full and loud and happy. In the middle of summer, August 1914, one hundred years ago, Austro-Hungarian soldiers attacked. His dad, mom, grandmother, his three sisters, and four of his brothers were killed. The happy house was burnt to the ground. Momčilo was at his uncle’s house at the time. His life changed forever.

Momčilo found the Serbian army nearby and told them what had happened. The soldier in charge, Major Stevan Tucović, ordered someone in the unit to look after Momčilo, as he lead the unit to where the Austro-Hungarian soldiers were.

When he was 10 years old, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal by his commander. The unit was sent to Thessaloniki, in Greece. Major Tucović sent him to Sorovits where he was sent to school for a while.

Back in Serbia, the commander of the Serbian army was shocked when he saw an eleven year-old boy in uniform. Momčilo’s commander, Major Tucović told him the story; that the boy had been with them since the Battle of Cer, and that he had both been taught discipline and had even been wounded during his time in the unit. The commander promoted Momčilo again, to Lance Sergeant. 

He was sent to England and finished his education at Henry Wreight school in Faversham, Kent. In 1921 he went back to his country after Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić ordered the return of all children to Serbia. Back in Trbušnica he found his three surviving brothers. He died in 1993 at the grand old age of 93.

What a story! There is so much to discuss…


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There’s more to Ken Wilson-Max’s Lenny Goes to Nursery School (Frances Lincoln, £9.99), with its jolly little hero successfully making it through his first full day away from home. A multi-coloured cast of characters have an equally good time in this picture book, also sturdily produced.

Nicholas Tucker, ‘Children’s summer reading: Treats for the very young’,
The independent on Sunday
 
 

Lenny Goes to Nursery School Book Review – Our Verdict: A nice little book that can help you talk through starting nursery with your little one, including what he will do all day and how he can make friends and have fun. Quite simple and easy for children to understand and good pictures though it’s quite expensive.

Little Darlings Magazine

 

Two Reviews: Lenny Goes to School

character, children's books, design, idea, illustration, Ken Wilson-Max, pre school books, publishing, stories