Ship's Rat

I've always wanted to write a nautical themed picture book. A ship's rat called Ratina is a new character idea of mine. Here's a sketch of her:

The Spoon of Doom

This funny, sticky porridge adventure with my illustrations will be soon available to buy from June 2010.

Click here to Preorder

EVENTS Coming Up...

Thursday 20th May: Rhodes Avenue Primary School. I will be signing books from The Children's Bookshop Muswell Hill (http://www.childrensbookshoplondon.com/) at the school after 3:30pm.

Saturday 29th May: Waterstone's Bath special Sleep Sheep Event- tickets / info available from the store. 3:00-4:00pm http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb

Wednesday 16th June 2pm: Event at Eagle House School Children's literary festival http://www.eaglehouseschool.com/childrens-literature-festival-marquee.htm

Wednesday 7th July at the Millennium Hall in Buckden, I'll be presenting the next winner of the Cambridgeshire Picture book Award "Read it Again", I'll also be signing books.

September 27th September: Bath Festival event, more details to follow.

Wayhey! New fun 'Design a Sheep' worksheet

This will be uploaded on my website soon... but in the meantime you can print it off it here for maximum baa-tastic sheepy fun.

The Sleep Sheep - Publishers Weekly review

This winning bedtime book celebrates a child's imagination. When her frustrated mother suggests that she count sheep to fall asleep, Sylvie quickly imagines "hundreds and hundreds of sheep," but they are a wily flock. Shaw's (Evil Weasel) witty pen and ink drawings are chockablock with charismatic sheep "rumbaaa-ing," skateboarding, and otherwise milling about, none of which helps Sylvie count them ("Hey, sheep," she says, "you're really exasperating"). Sylvie follows the sheep to the beach where they play cards, read storybooks, arrange flowers, play board games, and finally fall asleep, at which point Sylvie is able to count them and fall asleep herself. The sheep--who, it turns out, clearly know what they're doing--tiptoe away and sail off aboard "The Dream Boat" ("I thought she'd never nod off!"). McQuinn's (Lola at the Library) clever conceit is expanded considerably by the comic details that fill every spread (the sheep's apparel is wonderfully diverse, especially at the beach, where they don "trunks and bikinis, suntan lotion and snorkeling goggles"). The gentle adventure blends seamlessly into the calming bedtime-ready ending. Ages 3–6. (May)

Link: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/reviews/childrens.html