Category: stories

“Cowboy Come home”


Working with text and pictures. The text is written and the layouts are nearly done. The working tittle is above. Here are sketches showing the treatment of the text which, to me, should be almost illustrated. The final exploration will be to bring type and image much closer together. Recently, agents and publishers have asked…… Continue reading “Cowboy Come home”

What about other cultures?


I spent time in book shops over the festive season.  I realised it is still a better experience than being online. I also noticed the lack of contemporary stories for children about other cultures. Most, if not all publishers have an anthology of folk tales from ‘the world’. Then, most publishers have the obligatory ‘multicultural’ collections, or a…… Continue reading What about other cultures?

Ring a Ring o’ Roses


I think there is still some thought about the decoration of the type and the flowers that has to happen, but wanted to post it anyway as I’m fairly pleased with the progress. Ring a Ring o’ Roses The historical context for this rhyme dates back to around the time of the Great Plague of…… Continue reading Ring a Ring o’ Roses

Baa Baa Black Sheep


The earliest publication for the “Baa, baa black sheep” rhyme or poem was 1744. The Music that we know today was first published in the early nineteenth century. The song  makes a link between wool and sheep. Babies imitate the sounds or noises that animals make –  onomatopoeia – as part of  learning through playing. The…… Continue reading Baa Baa Black Sheep

Splash Joshua Splash


Splash Joshua Splash by Malachy Doyle and Ken Wilson-Max Joshua and his grandmother spend a day experiencing H2O in its many forms. The delighted boy feeds ducks on the river, runs through puddles, plays at a drinking fountain, swims in a pool, and snuggles up for a rainy “cosy, dozy” bus ride home. The child…… Continue reading Splash Joshua Splash