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Chris Riddell The Age of the Beautiful Book

The Philippa Pearce Memorial Lecture 2017 was presented by Chris Riddell, award winning author, illustrator, political cartoonist and Children’s Laureate 2015-2017.

Not many lectures start with a cartoon of the anticipating audience and the back of the presenter’s head on the large screen! An intriguing way of getting the messages across, and amazing to see book characters come to life before your very eyes! Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, the first in the Goth Girl series, evolved in the screen in front of the audience at Homerton College, Cambridge

Discover Chris’s work on his web site here.

An exploration into the development of the book itself was a joy to listen to, so often we hear of the ideas behind the book but Chris was keen to portray the business of getting the book into print. A meeting with the book development side of the publishers meant that Goth Girl books have plenty of book bling, deep blue, silver foil, varnish effect and above all sprayed edges. At the back of the books is a tiny book in an envelope attached to the back cover; further information about Ishmael the mouse. Brilliant idea!

The book then travels to the ends of the earth (that may mean China, I suspect!) and back to our country for sale.

The Age of the Beautiful Book was much more than a lecture about illustration in children’s books, but about how that precious book does become beautiful, something to keep and treasure.

Chris talked a little about his own childhood, as the son of a vicar, and how important books are in exploring new worlds; he talked about finding worlds in wardrobes or indeed down rabbit holes. He has a warm and reassuring tone and when he mentioned that he had, ‘ a vague and reassuring feeling that God doesn’t mind that he doesn’t believe in him’, there were many quiet nods and mmm’s.

This empathy with people is shown throughout his illustrations and he has some ingenious ways of bringing books to life. Now, as he is thoroughly into social media, he has a good way of illustrating characters in all sorts of books and then sending photos to gain many, ‘ little blue thumb likes’! ‘Pictures turbo post words’ he said.

Chris is also an advocate for the real book, the attraction to the senses, tactile, the smell, the sound of turning the pages and being a feast for the eyes. Reading is a pleasurable thing to do and should not be turned into a grammatical exercise only. He wants children to draw for fun and for expression and we had some amazing cartoons on what would happen if education ever created assessments for drawing; ‘analyse the makeup of the graphite, the ergonomics of pencil sharpening… it would suck the life joy out of it!’

An enthralling lecture, this Philippa Pearce Memorial Lecture on Friday evening September 8^th with Chris Riddell will be remembered for its engagement, fun and how to bring the best in children’s books alive through beautiful books.

Sue Martin

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The Philippa Pearce Lecture, September 8th, Homerton College, Cambridge

The Age of the Beautiful Book is the title of the 2017 Lecture which will be given by Chris Riddell, a multi award winning illustrator and political cartoonist, who was the Children’s Laureate from June 2015 – June 2017.

The series of lectures was established in 2008, as a living memorial to celebrate the achievement of author, Philippa Pearce, who lived close to Cambridge. Philippa’s most famous book was Tom’s Midnight Garden, which won the Carnegie Medal in 1958. There were many more books, including The Minnow on the Say. You can find lots of resources and information on The Philippa Pearce website.

Chris is going to talk about words and pictures working together for a reader both on the traditional page, and in a digital age. He will explore how books are ever more covetable as objects in their own right, as well as valued for the words and illustrations inside, plus how libraries remain vital as repositories for these beautiful productions.

Chris has now published his Laureate’s Log as a book with PanMacmillan and is a beautiful journey of his time as Laureate.

This will be an excellent opportunity to explore the interests and ideas of an esteemed author working in illustration and the value of books in their own right for children.

In today’s world, we are surrounded by media, in digital and paper and formats. Often the value is only seen in what we can instantly gain and attain from reading and looking at the books. There is much more to be developed in the ongoing level of cognitive interaction and illustrations in books.

At Books Go Walkabout we work with illustrators and authors across the world, including Leigh Hobbs, the Australian Children’s Laureate, who was recently in conversation with Chris at The Children’s Bookfair in Bologna.

Looking forward to the lecture, exploring the Laureate’s Log and listening to further tales.

Sue Martin

Ehsan Abdollahi at The House of Illustration

Ehsan is an award-winning illustrator of children’s books, his work is published through Tiny Owl Publishers.

He teaches at Tehran’s top Honar (Art) University and he is currently in the UK to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival and other engagements.

On Thursday 10^th August he joined a discussion panel at The House of Illustration in conjunction with Tiny Owl Publishers.

The panel was made up of James Mayhew, Erica Jarnes, Beverley Naidoo, Azita Rassi and Delaram Ghanimifard.

Discussion was fascinating and there was a strong focus on the initial refusal to entry and visa for Ehsan, a ban! After considerable pressure and public energy from many people, including The Bookseller and The Guardian, this was overturned and Ehsan was allowed entry into the UK.

But what does it mean to be ‘banned’? And who is affected by the ban? The panel felt that a ban meant that not only the person was banned from the country but also the children and recipients of the books were also banned from listening to Ehsan and his work, creating an apartheid situation.

Banning affects us all as we are not allowed to hear or take part. In effect it stops dialogue. A dialogue, in this case where children can share an understanding of cultural differences, through books. Where they experience a greater understanding of a global world, sharing lives and concerns, knowing similarities and differences and valuing both.

Ehsan had also run some workshops for children, creating passports of peace and hope and, ‘using a poem as a springboard to explore how you might change the world and what colours you would use.’ Tiny Owl.

His books are amazing, the illustrations depict life in colour and style, they have a beautiful expressive feel about the images and tell the stories, often with no need for words.

‘When I Coloured the World‘ and ‘A Bottle of Happiness‘ are both wonderful books to have and to share. They tell more than the story written in the words, they are moral stories and full of meaning.

As picture books they have a place in libraries for children of all ages and adults too. By sharing the books with parents and teachers, there is much to discover in words, pictures and meaning.

At Books Go Walkabout, we are keen explorers of books in different places, reaching out across the world, using books and stories in a global dimension.

We are delighted to share Ehsan’s work and that of Tiny Owl Publishers with the world. We do this directly when travelling to the other side of the globe and through our blog which is read across Australia, South East Asia and in Europe.

Sue Martin

A Bottle of Happiness by Pippa Goodhart and Ehsan Abdollahi

A Bottle of Happiness - cover image and web link — Buy this book from BgW here…

On one side of a big mountain the people were rich and worked hard to become richer, but they were not happy.

On the other side of the mountain, people were not rich but shared things, including stories and they were happy. A small boy climbs the mountain to find the other side is full of wealth.

He returns one day with a bottle and brings the riches of happiness into that community. The moral is, share with others and you will have riches in abundance.

A story about people and getting on with each other, a fable with meaning and a positive ending.

Created and published by Tiny Owl, who are a very exciting new, independent publishing company, established in 2015. They believe in having stories which act as bridges. They have a number of books from Iranian authors.

They have a programme of intercultural projects where authors and illustrators from different countries work together in creation of a children’s book.

A Bottle of Happiness is written by Pippa Goodhart and illustrator is Ehsan Abdollahi. The text and illustration matches the idea behind the story.

Pippa has also written over a hundred books, including Winnie the Witch. Ehsan works as an illustrator of children’s books and newspapers as well as teaching at university in Iran, He recently was initially refused entry to the UK, when booked to deliver an event at Edinburgh Festival 2017. After much support and pressure Ehsan was granted a visa into the UK. Hooray!!

This is a beautiful book and a heart-warming story. Recommended for homes, sharing, libraries and schools.

Sue Martin

The Comics Exhibition at Seven Stories in Newcastle, UK

Approaching Seven Stories - image — Approaching Seven Stories….

Seven Stories is the National Centre for Children’s Books. Nowhere else in the UK matches the uniqueness of Seven Stories.

There are collections from authors with titles galore and notes of their work as it progressed. There are amazing original pieces of artwork from illustrators, as well as the printed book.

Seven Stories are custodians of the only collection in the world of British authors from 1930’s to present day.

Children’s books change the lives of those who read them, they capture thoughts and feelings, they create adventure and exploration, they help children to face and understand the world.

The centre has many roles and activities, including workshops, events for children of all ages, connections with schools in the North-East. It has a wonderful bookshop and a café for lunches, with a view over the Ouseburn river.

Exhibitions have a big place in Seven Stories. The two exhibitions running now are about Bears and Comics. There are also exhibitions with material from previous exhibitions, archived digitally and accessible as a resource. Once the exhibitions have finished at Seven Stories they often go on tour around the country, such as the recent Michael Morpurgo exhibition, on tour this year.

Always worth a visit to Seven Stories - Comics image — Always worth a visit to Seven Stories…

The Comics exhibition, is showing until Summer 2018 on the fifth floor and once you enter, you are immersed in the world of comics, old and new.

Comics, illustrations, graphic novels, adventure, showing a whole world of characters and story. One page of a comic would lead you into another world with weekly episodes keeping you on the edge of your seat. There are many favourite characters, heroes and superheroes, good guys and bad guys.

The exhibition is set out to show the different aspects of comics; story, character, setting, props and power, and style. As you journey through the exhibition there is a really good sense of the components of creating a comic adventure, with characters and plots larger than life! The quality of the illustrations and huge amount of time involved in creating a page with many panels of sketches is enormous.

Ahoy there? - panels image at the Comics Exhibition, Seven Stories — Ahoy there?

A story for a comic is generally made in a series of panels, with each panel including some words in speech bubbles or a displayed text, but often there are no words at all!

Characters can be anyone really, monsters, jokers, friends, people you know or even yourself. The exhibition shows how you can define your character in clothes, height, features and special powers.

Other areas are Props and Power; an amazing collection held in some drawers of destiny and a wardrobe full of ideas or possible impossibilities!

Alongside the comics with superheroes and other characters were also some well-known novels, made into comic or graphic style. My favourite was Tom’s Midnight Garden, which looked amazing and also Moomin on the Riviera, The Snowman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Asterix.

Would you enter the wardrobe - image — Would you enter the wardrobe?

This is a fantastic exhibition and we could well have spent a whole day there.

The team at Seven Stories, who collate and present the exhibitions, have real professionalism and flair in the creation of this amazing space, especially the interactivity of many of the displayed artefacts.

Maybe one day soon, I will go back and wander into the Wardrobe of Impossible Possibilities. If you visit the exhibition and find the wardrobe you may discover new solar systems, characters and stories within.

A visit to Seven Stories and the Comics Exhibition is a must for the school holidays or at any time.

Sue Martin

Further reading and exploration of ‘the comic’?

https://comicswap.wordpress.com/ https://comicsclub.blog/

Great archive and news stories on a theme, featured links at the exhibition.

Image Credits: With thanks to Seven Stories for the images of the 'front door' and the magical wardrobe...

Pet Dragon – Dare to Care by M.P.Robertson and Sally Symes

Dare to Care Pet Dragon — Buy this book on-line here…

Have you ever wondered how to look after your dragon? Once caught and living with you, looking after a dragon is not an easy pet option!

From choosing the type of dragon to assisting in learning how to fly… this is the book for you!

The illustrations are captivating and appealing and dragons of all sorts and all colours and kinds are shown in detail of scales, fiery tongues and flames with boxes of text to read and enjoy.

The idea was conceived by M.P Robertson, and written by Sally Symes, and finally published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, who have a brilliant knack of spotting a great book potential.

If you are feeling brave… visit M.P Robertson website and you can find ways to draw and do more with dragons.

But first, we recommend that you buy the book and then when you have your dragon, let us know how.

PS Warning !! Never feed your dragon Brussel Sprouts!

Sue Martin

Maya Angelou – Little People, Big Dreams

Maya Angelou, is a remarkable story of the woman and the girl.

Born in St Louis, Missouri, she faced much unfairness about the colour of her skin. At eight years of age she was attacked by her mother’s boyfriend and stopped speaking for 5 years!

She became many things… dancer, singer, writer, producer, teacher and an activist for civil rights, as well as a mother and grandmother. She wrote a book called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, with memories from her childhood. She read from her collection of poems at both the White House and United Nations and she is remembered for her message of hope for all people.

The book, Maya Angelou, is written by Lisbeth Kaiser and illustrated by Leire Salaberria. It is part of the Little People, Big Dreams series from Frances Lincoln, part of QuartoKnows, discovers the lives of outstanding people,from designers and artists to scientists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

Other books we have featured in this great series: Agatha Christie and Marie Curie…read more here

Beautiful hard back books, written in a highly illustrated copy, to engage readers of all ages and for children who want to find out more and explore without thousands of words. Good for older children with ESOL too.

Sue Martin

All the Wild Wonders Poems of our Earth

An amazing anthology of poems from Wendy Cooling, beautifully illustrated by Piet Grobler. The poems are compiled to do two things; to celebrate the beauty of the world and to notice the dangers.

Wendy Cooling, MBE, is well known in the world of children’s books, in the UK and beyond. She has contributed enormously to supporting the provision of books for young children and is also a celebrated anthologist.

She hopes that at least one of the poems lingers in the readers mind.

Poets are taken from different periods of time, and space, from Christina Rosetti to Benjamin Zephaniah.

Two of my favourites are; The Prayer Tree, Anon, ‘I am the beam that supports your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie... and The Old Windmill by Paul Bright, Catch the wind, just for an instant,Catch the wind , then let it go…

The illustrations are superb and involved in the words and lines of the poems, cleverly created by Piet Gobler in watercolour washes of subtle colours which support the poems in thought and feeling.

A recent release from Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and an excellent addition for any library, home or school.

You can buy the book now from Books Go Walkabout..

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout

Taking Flight by Adam Hancher

Taking Flight cover image and purchase link — Buy this book from BgW here…

Take Flight is the courageous and true story of the Wright brothers, the pioneers of flight!

Two brothers of humble origins who never gave up their childhood dream of being able to fly. In Dayton, Ohio in 1878, two boys stood in their backyard, mesmerised by their new toy; a helicopter that can hover in the air. “One day, I’m going to fly like that,” they agreed.

Written by Adam Hancher, an illustrator from London, Taking Flight tells in detail in words and images how two people followed their dream and managed to conquer problems and create a new way of travel. The book is a real insight into discovery, and although many years ago, this new experience is now part of so many peoples lives.

It is the first title in a new biographical series on inspirational figures called Dare to Dream, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Publishers. The series will be dedicated to inspirational figures throughout history who can teach children that with courage and determination you can make dreams a reality.

We thoroughly recommend this book for children, especially for ages 6-9 years.

Sue Martin

Tiny Owl

The Elephants Umbrella cover image and web link — View, review or buy this book here…

Tiny Owl is an independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children.

They were established in 2015, and believe in global children’s books and about building bridges across our world. Two of their latest books are The Elephant’s Umbrella and Alive Again, are both full of vibrant illustrations and intriguing text.

The Elephant’s Umbrella is a tale of generosity, and full of opportunities for conversation and reasons to smile. The elephant has an umbrella and his friends join him where it is cosy and dry. One day the umbrella blows away and the other jungle animals try to use it themselves, but don’t feel like sharing!

” If I become yours, where will you take me when it rains?” asks the umbrella to the bear. But the bear only wants the umbrella to help him get the honey!

Laleh Jaffari is the author, born in Iran she has written over 25 children’s bookss and is also a TV director.

Ali Khodal has illustrated over 80 books and won national awards in his home country of Iran.

Alive Again - cover image and web link — View, review or buy this book here…

Alive Again explores what it means to be alive and how words can express the meaning of ‘alive’, but yet they don’t hold the quality of being alive only. This book has lots of hidden depths and the illustrations will help teacher, parents and children to think and puzzle and wonder.

Ahmadreza Ahmadi is the author and is an Iranan poet and children’s story writer. In 2010 he was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Anderson Award. Nahid Kazemi is the illustrator.

Books Go Walkabout enjoys Tiny Owl books and shares values in vision of creating bridges through children’s books across the world.

Sue Martin