Super Rabbit

Super Rabbit

By Stephanie Blake

Published by Gecko Press

Is it a bird?, is it a plane? No, it's Simon that cheeky rabbit back in another funny, tantrum filled picture book from best selling Stephanie Blake. 

Once there was a little rabbit... “I’m not a LITTLE rabbit! I’m Super Rabbit!” Simon is not afraid of anything. He’s Super Rabbit! From flying (jumping) from his bed in the morning and landing on the family cat with a thud. Simon is no longer a little rabbit, but a super rabbit that's out to find supervillains and save the day. On his adventure outside, he comes across a hollow tree, Simon goes in and investigates. It's not long until he's calling for his mummy to come and save him. A piece of sword has got stuck in his finger (a splinter from the tree, for the rest of us) and he needs mummy to help remove it. After its removed his mummy praises him for being a very brave rabbit. Simon then uses his splinter for the good of all - a sword to slay the supervillains! 

Filled with Stephanie's unique style, with bold colours and large easy to read typography, this is another classic edition to the series. Super Rabbit is out now at all good bookshops and to buy on the Gecko Press website.

I Want Spaghetti!

I Want Spaghetti!

By Stephanie Blake

Published by Gecko Press

That cheeky rabbit, Simon, is back, and this time he will only eat spaghetti! The fifth in the series covers when toddlers become very fussy eaters...

Simon loves spaghetti. Problem is that he will only eat spaghetti for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When his mother offers him toast for breakfast he refuses it with a huge "YUCK!". At lunchtime his father makes him a sandwich but again Simon refuses and wants only spaghetti. Eventually his parents have enough and he is sent to his room without dinner. But the mention of chocolate cake soon makes Simon return to the dinner table and eat what he's given. But when spaghetti is given for lunch the next day Simon doesn't want it. Instead he's got a hankering for SAUSAGES! 

Filled with Stephanie's unique style, with bold colours and large easy to read typography, this is another great edition to the other Simon books. Parents and children alike will recognise and laugh at Simon's antics to avoid eating anything that he doesn't want. I Want Spaghetti! is out now at all good bookshops and to buy on the Gecko Press website.

Boris Babysits!

Boris Babysits!

By Sam Lloyd

Published by Templar Publishing

Boris is back and this time he's been given a job to do, Babysit! Boris is babysitting for monster baby. The problem is he really isn't very good at it. He needs your help in this new fun novelty book.

If you're new to Boris, he's a very loving little monster! Orange, hairy and over-enthusiastic, Boris means well, but always ends up getting carried away and spoiling things. In his second outing he gets to babysit and as always Boris tries his best but he's not at all good at it. Monster Mummy goes shopping and Boris is left in charge. His idea of babysitting is to eat sweeties and watch telly all day! Of course we want to help Boris do the right thing, so using the furry baby monster you can help and put baby in the right place. Throughout the book Boris gets in a pickle, but you can help guide baby to make sure everything goes okay. Filled with fun colourful illustrations, this is one fun read for parents and children to enjoy together.

Boris Babysits! is a fun follow-up to Calm Down Boris! Children will love the cute furry monster that they can interact with on every page, a great idea to get them involved in the story (and to help silly Boris out!). Boris Babysits! is out now at all good bookshops and from the Templar website.

Hug Me

Hug Me

By Simona Ciraolo

Published by Flying Eye Books

A little cactus is in need of a hug but none of his family are the hugging type. Will he find a friend that he can get a cuddle from?

In her debut picture book, Simona tells a heartwarming story about loneliness and finding friendship. The story is full of wit, with even Felipe's first unwanted hug being targeted towards a huge yellow balloon! (don't worry the balloon survived the ordeal!). Felipe's adventure to find a hug (and a friend) takes him through the desert until he finds someone crying for the same reason. He finds a huggable friend in the form of a rock. I guess a stone is sometimes the most solid friend you'll ever need! 

This was Simona's debut for Flying Eye and its an instant classic. Full of endearing illustrations and one of the most lovable cactus' I have ever laid eyes on! A lovely story to share and have a cuddle with if you're even needing that hug like Felipe! If you'd like to know more about Simona do check out the recent interview I had with her here. Hug Me is available in all good bookshops and from Flying Eye Books here.

Interview with Simona Ciraolo

Simona Ciraolo is a children’s book author. She grew up in Italy and got a degree in animation at the National Film School. Simona moved to England shortly afterwards and worked in advertising and feature films. She's currently based in London and has just completed an MA in Children’s Book Illustration in Cambridge. She currently has three amazing titles with Flying Eye Books; Hug Me, Whatever Happened To My Sister? and The Lines on Nana's Face.

BWB: You have produced three titles for Flying Eye Books now, which one is your favourite?

SC: One usually loves all of his darlings in the same way, and I do. But if I had to pick the one I am always going to have a soft spot for, that has to be Whatever Happened to my Sister.

BWB: Do you feel your work has evolved in any way over these books?

SC: I suppose it has, although it is often the case that the artist is the last one to notice such an evolution, as it is difficult to see the work clearly whilst it is still quite fresh in your eyes.

BWB: What aspect of picture book making do you find the most difficult?

SC: Settling on particular way to draw the illustrations. Before I start working on a book I experiment with different approaches to image making, but eventually there has to come a time when I have to say: "Ok, this is it". But I often find myself to be too involved with the images I've been working on to see them clearly and be objective as to whether I am making the right decision. It isn't always easy to trust your instincts in those moments!

BWB: Who inspires you?

SC: Those authors and illustrators who dedicated their lives to the profession they love and, after decades of writing and drawing pictureboks, are still in love with this medium and still wonder how they could make their own work even better.

BWB: Your last two books were about family members. Were these based on your experiences? 

SC: I'd actually say that all three of them are! No, they are not directly based on my experience, but I love to observe family dynamics: I find them terribly inspiring!

Thank you to Simona and Emma for this interview. If you'd like to see more of Simona's work visit her website here. Her books are available to buy from Flying Eye Books here.

Interview with Owen Davey

Owen Davey is an award-winning Illustrator, living & working in Leicester, UK. He has First Class BA(Hons) Degree in Illustration from Falmouth University. His work has been published in every continent except Antarctica, including picture books in UK, America, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, China, Sweden, Russia & South Korea. In his spare time, he writes and plays in a band called LOM, bakes cakes & quickly consumes them, practices yoga, plays nerdy computer games, reads books intended for teenagers or children, and watches a variety of films and HBO programmes.

BWB: Your books for Flying Eye have focussed on Monkeys and Sharks. Which did you enjoy researching more?

OD: I probably enjoyed researching monkeys more. Just. Only because there is a lot more information about them in the world. A lot of information on sharks isn't definite or is estimates or very new. We're only just starting to understand sharks because they basically live in an alien world to us. Both were equally fascinating though

BWB: Have you always been interested in animals?

OD: Oh yeah. I love animals. They're endlessly fascinating, from the smallest bug to the blue whale, they're ace. And all so different. And I love domestic animals too. Not sure why specifically. I think it's just that they're cool

BWB: Are there any animals you struggle to illustrate?

OD: Not struggle to illustrate necessarily, but some are definitely harder than others. Birds are always super easy for some reason. Mammals tend to be a bit harder. Fur can be a bit tricky and if there's no markings on an animal that can make it difficult to make the animal look cool and do its real-life counterpart justice. Cow's faces can be tough too. But yeah it's more about the simplification of things. I like to simplify the stuff I illustrate into simpler shapes, breaking down things into circles and squares and stuff. Doing this means that theoretically I could draw any animal.

BWB: What inspires your colour palettes?

OD: Research. I spend a lot of time playing with colour palettes and looking at other people's colour palettes to see what I like about them. I take old pieces I've done and change each of the colours used until I get a new colour palette. Then I play with that. It's a lot easier to see how the colours play off one another when you have a context for them rather than just a few blobs on a page or something. And it's amazing how changing one or two colours in a palette can completely alter the whole feel of a piece. It can take a long time to get a palette just right.

BWB: Can we expect another animal title from you in the near future?

OD: Oh yes. I'm working on one as we speak. I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell you what animal it is, but rest assured that they're super interesting. I'm neck deep in books about the subject at the moment. Next I'll need to figure out how best to draw them

A huge thank you to Owen for taking the time to answer my questions. Mad About Monkeys is available in glorious hardback from Flying Eye Books here. Owen's second book with Flying Eye, Smart About Sharks is also available and can be purchased here. To see more Owen's fantastic work go and visit his website here.

Mad About Monkeys

Mad About Monkeys

By Owen Davey

Published by Flying Eye Books

Monkeys, monkeys, monkeys! Ever wondered about our simian friends and what makes them so special? If you're bananas about monkeys you'll love this fact filled book from Owen Davey.

With over 250 species inhabiting our planet, this book explores the many different types of monkeys from the smallest Pygmy Marmoset to the largest Mandrill, and provides all the facts you wanted to know and more. Discover where monkeys come from, how they swing from tree to tree, and why they fight and play with each other.

Visually striking in every way, you'd be hard pushed to find a more complete illustrated guide to these cheeky monkeys. Each page is jam packed with interesting facts and detailed illustrations of each type of monkey. It covers everything from social nature to mischievous reputations. A truly wonderful read that will make you mad about monkeys!

If you're unfamiliar with the work of Owen Davey I suggest you check him out. Mad About Monkeys was the predecessor to the wonderful Smart About Sharks, which is also available to buy from Flying Eye Books. To find out more about the author and illustrator please check out the interview I had with him here. Mad About Monkeys is available to buy from all good bookshops and from the Flying Eye Books website.